The Oblivious Prince
by Loopstagirl
Summary: Merlin thinks that Arthur never notices anything. But what if that wasn't the case? What if the prince knew more than he was letting on?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**Another one-shot for you that just kind of came out of nowhere. Please let me know what you think?**

Arthur wearily forced his aching legs along the corridor, desperately hoping he wasn't about to bump into any one of significance considering the less than princely mood he was finding himself in. The battle had been a tough one even by Camelot's standards. He thought he had seen it all when they had rode out to confront the Dragon over a year ago, but seeing the skeletons casually marching through the street and attacking anyone they came across was definitely something new. Unfortunately, Arthur could remember all too well the last time he had fought something that simply refused to die. Why was it whenever there was something un-dead walking around the castle, something happened to Morgana? The first time, with the Knights of Medhir, that fateful day when she had been snatched from under Arthur's very nose, and there had been nothing he could do to stop it. And now this, a year later, and they finally manage to get her back where she belongs, only to have an army of skeletons rise up at the very same time as Cendred attacks.

Shaking his head as he began to force himself up the suddenly very long staircase outside of Gaius's chambers, Arthur was just glad that the woman he considered to be like a sister to him was safe. He knew that, despite his orders, she would involve herself in the fighting. It had still come as a surprise when some of the guards had found her unconscious down in the crypt, the destroyed staff lying next to her, however. Arthur had to admit, there was something there that didn't quite add up, especially the way Merlin had approached him afterwards, but he was so glad that she was alright; he had pushed the matter from his mind.

Merlin. That was something else that was playing on the prince's mind, the latest obscure behaviour of his manservant. Arthur was fully aware that he hadn't received a proper answer where the lanky man had been during his missing day, instead brushing it off with some ridiculous comment about dying. As if anything would want to kill Merlin, Arthur couldn't help but think. It wasn't as if anything would consider him a threat, with his clumsy ways and somewhat innocent nature. But even so, Arthur was sure there had been a certain look in his eye, a look that the prince had seen more than once; one that meant Merlin was lying.

Having just woken up, Arthur had thought nothing of it. But when he had called the council later that day to discuss a course of action regarding the upcoming invasion, something had clearly startled Merlin. There had been a look on his face that was so unlike the servant that Arthur had been more than a little taken aback. It was a look that, if he didn't know any better, resembled hatred and betrayal. But Merlin didn't know how to hate. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Arthur knew that was the only reason the young man had been able to put up with the prince during their first few weeks as master and servant, especially considering everything Arthur had thrown at him to try and force the overconfident peasant to quit.

With his mind preoccupied with upcoming battles, not to mention the state of his father's health, Arthur found he had once again pushed Merlin's strange mood from his mind, even when the loyal servant started spouting nonsense about destiny and such like. Arthur was sure there was something about dangerous situations that altered Merlin, for this was not the first time he had gone on about what Arthur was about to do and become. It certainly unnerved the prince, only this time, he had found himself listening, being forced to acknowledge his servant's words, even give him credit where credit was due. Not that he allowed Merlin the chance to relish in the praise before a snide comment and the call of battle had ruined the moment.

Now, however, Arthur was determined to find out what was going on. After Uther's announcement regarding Morgana saving the day, Arthur was sure that there was that same look on Merlin's face that there had been during the council meeting. Unfortunately, due to the angle he was standing at, Arthur had not been able to tell who was on the receiving end of Merlin's uncharacteristic glare. Whoever it was, however, Arthur didn't pity them. He had never thought that Merlin could look so deadly, but glancing at him in that moment, Arthur suddenly saw a very different person.

His servant had then quickly left the throne room, although judging by Gaius's suddenly firm hand on his arm, Arthur knew full well that Merlin had little choice in reality. When Gaius decided someone needed checking over, nothing and no one could get in the physician's way. Arthur himself had been subjected to it more times than he would like to remember whilst growing up. His curiosity getting the better of him, Arthur had muttered something to his father about getting an injury checked over and followed.

He was surprised that the King had fallen for it, Arthur was known for being more than stubborn when it came to going to Gaius voluntary when he was hurt, but thankful, due to his own brief brush with insanity, Uther had just distractedly nodded and allowed his son on his way. Feet silent, Arthur had quickly caught up with the pair arguing in quiet voices.

Knowing that they would fall silent as soon as he made himself known, Arthur had dropped back, cursing under his breath when he couldn't make out what they were saying. He could tell by their body language, however, that Gaius was worried, and Merlin – as per usual – was attempting to brush of his mentor's concerns. Waiting whilst they climbed the stairs, Arthur finally found himself forcing his way up them himself, groaning as the battle suddenly decided to make its presence known in his weary muscles.

Pausing outside the closed door, Arthur pressed his ear to the wood, desperately trying to work out what was going on inside. One thing he was certain of, however, and that was Merlin was hiding something from him. Determined to get to the bottom of his disappearance once and for all, Arthur crept closer.

"Take off your shirt, Merlin, I need to see that shoulder."

"Its fine, Gaius, you don't need to worry about it." Merlin protested, and Arthur knew without having to see his servant's face that the young man would be practically pouting, trying to shake off Gaius's concerns. Despite having lived with the man for a good few years now, he still hadn't learnt that Gaius always managed to get his own way. As Gaius replied in an undertone, Arthur cursed again. Holding his breath, he silently pushed the door open a fraction, heart beating somewhat erratically as he prayed that the occupants of the room didn't hear the movement.

Luckily, he was just in time to see Gaius practically lunge at Merlin, the younger man's indignant yelp covering up the slight squeak of the door. Angling himself so that he could see the pair, Arthur narrowed his eyes, confusion building in him. He didn't remember Merlin being hurt in the fight, but then again, the servant had done his usual vanishing act for the vast majority of it.

"I'll decide when something is fine or not. It at least looks like a sprain, what did you do?"

"I grabbed onto something when I slipped," Merlin responded, the tips of his ears burning slightly as he was subjected to Gaius's usual disbelieving expression.

"You and your clumsiness," he muttered, just loud enough for the eavesdropping prince to catch his words. Arthur couldn't help but grin at that, for it was exactly the same thought that was running through his mind.

Beginning to back slowly away from the door as Merlin finally gave in and began tugging his shirt off, Arthur couldn't help but feel he was no closer to finding out where his missing servant had been any more than he was when he had marched into Gaius's chambers the day before, demanding to know where Merlin was. In fact, he had just turned and reached the top of the stairs once more when Gaius' sharp intake of breath had him running back to the door.

"Merlin!" Just as Arthur reached the door, the physician's exclamation could be quite audible heard. Navigating himself back into position, Arthur was hard pushed not to sigh out loud at only catching sight of Gaius' back, the old man now shielding Merlin from the door.

"What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Merlin," Gaius began warningly, another tone Arthur knew all too well. "Don't lie to me."

"What do you want me to say?" Merlin cried, and Arthur suddenly caught sight of his arm as the younger man raised it in agitation, clearly running it through his hair. Thankfully, Gaius decided to choose that moment to move, striding across the room in order to shove a stool somewhat roughly towards the man he considered to be a son.

Arthur, however, barely noticed. He was too transfixed with his manservant. No wonder Gaius sounded surprised and worried about Merlin. Encircling his arms and torso, a thin line of bruises ran across the pale skin, evenly spaced from where something had clearly been wrapped around the boy. Frowning, Arthur couldn't fathom what on earth could have made such a mark; it clearly was older than the battle if the extent of the bruising was anything to go by.

As Merlin turned slightly away, clearly not wanting to face Gaius, Arthur was hard pushed not to yell out loud, something Gaius did for him. An ugly wound was situated in the base of Merlin's back, something that looked suspiciously like some sort of stab wound. His mind reeling, Arthur found himself replaying the conversation the pair of them had that morning. Merlin seemed almost serious when he said he said he was dying, something his master had brushed off with assuming that the servant was being his normal dramatic self. Looking at him now, Arthur couldn't help but wonder if it was true.

"Merlin, how have you survived this?" Gaius exclaimed bluntly, unaware that he was once again echoing the thoughts of the man hidden outside of his door. Arthur couldn't have worded it better himself, only he was wondering how on earth Merlin thought he could take part in the battle when he was quite clearly sporting a wound that he had only recently received.

"Something caught me in the fight, Gaius. Its fine, it's not as bad as it looks, honest."

"Merlin, what on earth makes you think that you can lie to me? This is older than today's fight, same with those bruises. What happened to you?"

"It doesn't _matter_," Merlin responded, sounding somewhat desperate as he tried to emphasise his point by gesturing with his arm. Unfortunately for him, it was clearly the shoulder that Gaius had declared looked at least sprained, for Merlin instantly winced afterwards, causing his mentor to hurry forward again.

"Merlin," Gaius began again, but Merlin was clearly exhausted from everything that had happened.

"Gaius, please. Leave it. I'm fine. I think you know what happened, anyway."

"Merlin, you have to be careful."

"I know," before Merlin could continue, however, he suddenly looked straight towards the door. For a split second, he met Arthur's eyes through the gap before the prince was moving, hurrying silently away. There was no way Merlin could have known that he was there, after all, this was the idiot that couldn't stalk anything to save his life. Even so, Arthur had no desire to try and explain what he was doing crouched outside of the physician's door, quite clearly attempting to listen into the conversation happening within.

In a matter of moments, he was under the stairs, mind racing as he crouched in the shadows. Whether Merlin had known he was there or not, Arthur had no intention of going far, not until he had received some answers about what was happening. There was something deep going on with Merlin, that was clear. The look of betrayal on his face in the council meeting, his injuries, his missing time. Biting his lip as he pondered the evidence before him, Arthur couldn't help but wonder whether Merlin had perhaps known something about the invasion, and someone had attempted to stop him. A dagger in the lower back would have seen to that, only somehow Merlin had clearly survived, almost uninjured.

Running a hand through his own hair, Arthur sighed, shutting his eyes. Immediately, images of Merlin's bruised torso came into his mind, and his eyes flying open again with a gasp, Arthur knew what was so familiar about the marks. Whenever he had disagreed with his father, particularly in public, the King had made his displeasure known by restraining his son in the dungeons. Especially when he was younger, the fiery young man would not be taken quietly, and so had strained against the chains holding him, leaving him with a strange pattern of bruises around his wrists. That same pattern was now encircling his manservant.

And then there was Merlin's strange comment about needing to talk to Arthur about Morgana. Surely he had just meant that he too had been witness to the King's ward saving the day? But Arthur couldn't deny the smallest flickers of doubt from penetrating his mind. What if he hadn't meant that? What if he had meant something else entirely?

Shaking his head, Arthur knew that couldn't possibly be the case. After all, they had only just got Morgana back, and Arthur himself had seen how torn up about her disappearance Merlin had been. He had just assumed it was because of the feelings the servant was so vehemently denying to have towards the King's ward. Why on earth would he want to say anything other than how wonderful it was to have her home again?

Even so, someone had clearly known about the invasion, and had gone at extreme lengths to stop the servant from reporting back. Despite having survived this apparent attack, Arthur couldn't understand why Merlin hadn't said anything when he had returned. Thinking hard, the prince couldn't help but wonder whether he had given the man a chance, instead just berating him for having gone missing without Arthur's permission. Even so, Arthur knew his servant well enough to know that if Merlin had something important to tell him, he would do so. There was no way he respected the master/servant boundaries enough to keep his mouth shut.

Deciding that this thought process was getting him nowhere, Arthur came to a decision. He clearly hadn't given Merlin enough reason to trust him in order for Merlin to feel safe enough to come to the prince. If that was the case, Arthur knew he simply had to do something to rectify that. And if even Gaius was having trouble getting Merlin to open up, Arthur knew full well how slippery Merlin could be when trying to get a straight answer out of him if he didn't want to give one. He knew that the servant thought he was oblivious to the lies that casually came spilling from Merlin's mouth, but that was far from the truth. He knew when Merlin was lying, and whilst it hurt that the younger man didn't trust him the way Arthur trusted his servant, he simply let it go. When Merlin was ready to come to him, he would.

Arthur knew he had to stick by that now. Merlin clearly wasn't prepared to give anyone an explanation as for his disappearance, nor his injuries or where he had been during the battle, despite Arthur's previous attempts to get him to open up. Arthur knew that if he pushed the servant, the chances were, Merlin would simply disappear again, and no one would be any the wiser of what was going on with the young man.

Unfolding himself from under the stairs, Arthur knew he just had to act like he hadn't seen anything, as always. But this time, he would make damn sure that he kept an eye on his idiotic servant, especially if Merlin had no intention of telling him about his injuries. No, it was once again time to play the oblivious prince. For it was only that way Arthur felt like he had any hope of getting Merlin to reveal anything.

Taking a deep breath, Arthur readied himself to face the stairs again, preparing to order Merlin about as if nothing had happened, as if he hadn't seen how injured the boy was. And maybe, just maybe, one day, Merlin would be prepared to trust Arthur with the truth, let the prince know precisely what was so mysterious about his faithful manservant.


	2. Chapter 2

**After a few reviews asking me to continue this, I thought I would give it a go. I have no idea how long it is going to be. The vague plan is to go through s3, but no further. But I don't know if that will happen or not, they might end up a bit samey. We shall just see.**

**I'm also working on something else at the moment, but I want to get it finished before posting, so there will be more of everything to come.**

Arthur could feel a tickle beginning to make itself known in his throat and so hastily took a sip of wine. He had been nursing the cup for hours now, drinking every time he thought that he was going to cough. He was fully aware that it wouldn't be a cough that came out, however, but something that more resembled the braying of a donkey. Even just thinking about it made Arthur flush in humiliation and caused him to take a much larger gulp of wine than he had intended.

Why was it that everything else the goblin had caused been cleared up? Everyone but him? Arthur sighed, going back to staring out of the window and letting his thoughts wonder. How was it that the ailments that had been affecting everyone had just disappeared anyway? Was that how it worked with goblin magic, once the creature was restrained, the effects wore off? Arthur was just thankful there had been no real damage caused, and if he was completely honest, he had allowed himself to smile at the image of his father with no hair. When he was on his own, of course.

He was alone again now, having dismissed Merlin for the night. He had initially thought that he had let his servant go early in order to spend some time with his mentor. After all, Gaius had been the one possessed, and then had accused Merlin of being a sorcerer, had him locked up and would have – if it wasn't for Merlin's miraculous escape – watched the boy who was like a son to him hang. That must give them a few issues to be working through, and Arthur had no desire to have to try and give out advice on how to deal with fatherly issues. He might have been somewhat skilled at them, but that was knowledge he wanted to keep to himself.

But once Merlin had gone and the wine had begun to go to his head slightly, Arthur had begun to think. That hadn't been the first time that Merlin had been accused of magic, after all. Aredian had done the same, and the idiot had even claimed to being a sorcerer in order to save Gwen all those years ago. Why was it that every time accusations began to fly, Merlin ended up in the firing line. It was true that he also managed to get himself out of trouble every time as well, but what Arthur couldn't fathom out was how.

How was it that he had managed to escape from the dungeons? _Again_, for the prince couldn't help but think back to Sigan. He knew he had locked Merlin up then as well, and yet the boy had just come out with some excuse about the damage to the castle causing the door to come free so he thought he would help. At the time, Arthur had been so adamantly determined to keep the conversation away from the fact that Merlin had been right all along that he had just let it go, but not this time. The door had simply been unlocked, but where had Merlin got the keys? Arthur, in a moment of worry, had checked his own belt to make sure that his servant hadn't taken them from him, but all had been present. It could only mean that Merlin had obtained a set of keys _once he was in the dungeon_.

Pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, Arthur sighed heavily. Why was it that now he had started thinking about his servant in such a suspicious way, he just couldn't get the idea out of his head? Ever since he had realised that Merlin was lying to him about something after seeing the wounds the boy had obtained during Cendred's latest attack, Arthur had been keeping his eyes open for anything unusual. The problem was, unusual was Merlin's norm, and the prince had grown more accustomed to his servant's odd ways than he would have ever admitted to. So trying to work out what was Merlin being an idiot and what was something deeper was giving him a headache.

He wasn't quite quick enough to stop the cough coming out this time, and Arthur winced slightly as a loud bray filled the air, taking him back to his initial thoughts about why he was the only one still affected. Yet again, his thoughts turned to Merlin. It seemed like something the servant would so, some way of getting back at Arthur for being a prat – yet another fact that they seemed to disagree on quite a lot.

Could it be that Merlin was somehow responsible for things being put back to normal? But how? Or was it because he was the one that named Gaius as the goblin that meant they were connected in some way? Cursing, Arthur realised that he was going around in circles thinking about things that he really didn't understand.

Placing the cup down, the future king climbed to his feet, pulled on his boots and headed towards the door. He would have never thought that he would end up sneaking around his own castle, yet that was precisely what he was doing. It was almost scary how much he had overheard after the battle, and if that was the only way that he was going to find out anything about his mysterious servant, than that was what Arthur would do.

He merely nodded to the guards patrolling the corridor and strode along purposefully, determined that he was going to look like he knew what he was doing. He refused to listen to the voice that told him it couldn't be a coincidence that Merlin was always the one who was accused of magic and he ignored the way that as soon as Merlin was cleared to come back into Camelot, the problems had almost seemed to resolve themselves. Not to mention he stubbornly did not acknowledge how their dungeons had held kings before – he would never forget Bayard's attempt to poison him (or not, whatever the case may be) – yet a simple servant could escape. They all seemed to point to one conclusion; one that Arthur was simply willing to not be true.

Gaius must have accused Merlin simply because he knew that the servant was on to him. The goblin was going to be revealed and it would all be over, it was the only plausible explanation. After all, Arthur had heard what Merlin had said as he had been thrown into the dungeons. He had sworn that he had never seen the book before, and whilst Arthur might have responded somewhat sarcastically, he truly found himself believing his servant when Merlin had promised that he wouldn't lie to him. Not to mention he had been looking for Arthur when he had been arrested. It all made sense – Merlin knew Gaius was possessed, Gaius knew that he knew and had gone out of his way to make sure the boy was silenced. Merlin had been right about Gaius, so why shouldn't he have been telling the truth about everything?

But despite convincing himself that Merlin had just been falsely accused as the goblin's way of continuing to make mischief without being revealed, Arthur still found that he had to go to the physician's chambers. He had to know that everything was as normal there. Only then would he be able to put these thoughts from his head and maybe finally get some sleep. Who knew, maybe that infernal bray might have also gone by the time he woke up in the morning? Cursing Merlin for not even letting him have a decent night's sleep, Arthur strode swiftly along the corridor. The sooner he got there, the sooner he could turn around and go to bed.

It took no time at all for Arthur to find himself yet again crouched outside of Gaius' door. This was becoming something of a habit of late, yet Arthur knew he couldn't just ask Merlin was what was going on. If the prince – the best warrior in the land – was only beginning to notice something was off after a couple of years, it meant that Merlin was a good at concealing things, even if he wasn't outright lying. After all, he had promised Arthur that he wouldn't do such a thing. Not to mention Arthur didn't think he would quite have the tact to try and simply ask Merlin – it would come out as something more like an accusation and who knew what trouble that would land them both in.

So instead, Arthur just breathed a sigh of relief that Gaius' door was partly open and settled himself down to listen. Sure enough, the pair seemed to be having dinner, chatting amiably to each other. The prince wasn't sure whether he should be here or not, knowing they had matters to address that were of a personal nature to the two of them.

"How are you feeling?"

"Merlin, if you ask me that one more time, I'm going to make you clean the leech tank again." The note to Gaius' voice made Arthur smirk – this was clearly not the first time that they had had this conversation. Merlin huffed but did fall silent for a moment.

"Gaius…"

"Merlin?"

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Although Gaius sounded worn and tired, there was a hint of confusion in his voice that Arthur recognised as the same confusion that was running through his head. What on earth had Merlin to be sorry for?

"You know what." Arthur had the overwhelming urge to bang his head against the wall. Was he never going to be able to find out anything about his servant?

"You should have known better, Merlin." Gaius chided, and Arthur realised that whatever Merlin was talking about, Gaius _did_ know.

"I never wanted anyone to get hurt." Merlin's voice was quiet, soft sounding, and Arthur found that he was instinctively holding his breath, wondering if this was about to provide him with some of the answers he had been hoping for.

"I know. But you know what this castle is like, you can't just open things and expect nothing to happen."

"I didn't know what was in there!" Merlin exclaimed, and Arthur had to take in a deep breath in order to stop himself from exploding. Not only would that make his presence known, he would then have to come up with a plausible explanation as to why he was listening in in the first place. That sentence could only mean one thing – Merlin had let the damn goblin lose. Yet whilst he was fuming at his idiotic fool of a servant, Arthur also found himself wondering who would leave a goblin around like that? From what Gaius had said, Merlin hadn't gone looking for it or anything, he had just come across it and found that his curiosity had gotten too much. Arthur wondered if he might have done the same thing. This castle was full of old secret passageways that barely anyone knew about, who knew what was lying where?

"Just…be careful, Merlin. If Gwen hadn't shielded you the way she did, if the pair of you hadn't worked out what was going on, if you hadn't escaped… Uther would have had you executed as a sorcerer."

"How's that for irony?" Unfortunately, Merlin's response was so quietly mumbled that although Arthur could hear him speak, he didn't hear the exact words. Shuffling closer to the door, he paused again when Merlin opened his mouth once more.

"You said Arthur believed me, though? Even though he wouldn't say it to me, he actually confronted you?"

"Yes, Merlin."

"And he acted like he wasn't listening to a word I said." Arthur didn't need to see Merlin's face in order to know that the boy would be scowling.

"You should have more faith in him, Merlin. You know that he won't express things like that, it's not who he is."

"I know. But I just wish that he could say what was actually on his mind rather than what he thinks everyone expects him to say." Merlin muttered, and Arthur found himself frozen, his heart pounding uncomfortably hard. He had come here to find out what Merlin was hiding from him, not what their opinions of _him_ were.

"It would just make it so much easier to be open with him if I didn't feel like he was going to just dismiss everything that I tell him." Merlin moaned, and Arthur found himself inching closer again. Could this be it?

"You're different people, Merlin, not everyone has the same reaction. He's a good man."

"He is. He'll make a good king."

The silence in the room was echoed through Arthur's head as he just blinked. He didn't even know what he was thinking, for Merlin paid him a compliment about as often as Arthur paid the servant one. That wasn't how their friendship worked, but the casual way that Merlin had said it made it sound like he truly believed what was coming out of his mouth.

"Talking of which, I ought to check on him. He was reaching for the wine when he dismissed me earlier. I'll go sort him out."

"See that you do. And properly this time." Gaius said firmly. Whatever Merlin's response was, Arthur found that he didn't stick around long enough to hear it as the sound of scraping stools indicated that they were leaving the table. He had to get back to his chambers and make it seem like he had been there all along. Even as he hurried along, he couldn't help but wonder what Merlin had meant when it came to sorting him out.

Letting himself into his rooms and diving into bed, Arthur yanked the covers up and feigned sleep even as Merlin's footsteps echoed down the corridor. Making sure that he was covered and therefore no evidence of the fact that he was dressed was showing, Arthur shut his eyes and tried to even out his breathing. Merlin almost silently let himself into the room and Arthur heard a fond chuckle as his servant realised that the prince had left all the candles and even the fire burning before retiring.

Knowing that he couldn't move or awkward questions would be asked, Arthur just lay still. He was waiting for some kind of sign, something that would tell him that by sorting him out, Merlin had meant something magical, that he was more involved in this whole incident than everyone seemed to realise. Yet as Arthur lay there, all he could hear was his servant tidying the room. As the flickering flames were extinguished one by one, Arthur felt the tension leaving his body. He almost laughed at himself for being so dramatic. Of course Merlin hadn't meant anything more than sorting the room out when he meant sorting Arthur out. It seemed even when he was dismissed for the night, Merlin still had to make sure that everything was sorted.

Realising that he was just being paranoid about the whole thing, Arthur sighed to himself. Even as his servant continued to tidy, the prince found that he was genuinely falling asleep. By the time the room was fixed to Merlin's satisfaction, Arthur was lost in the realm of dreams. It meant that he didn't notice his servant come to stand over him as Merlin checked he was asleep. He didn't hear the silent whisper, nor the tell-tale flash of gold as Merlin's eyes glowed. He didn't feel himself cough sleepily as the remnant of the donkey's voice was removed.

Convinced that he had been wrong about the whole thing, Arthur slept on peacefully, completely unaware that his servant was performing magic on him even as he dreamt.

**Review?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you so much for the lovely reviews once again, it really means a lot to me.**

"…and then I need you to polish my armour. Merlin? _Mer_lin! Any of that getting through?"

Ever since they had seen Gwaine leave the city, Merlin had been distracted and quiet. Arthur didn't need to ask why, he knew that his servant had bonded with the man to a certain extent, and if they had been given the chance, they could have been great friends. He was also aware that this was not the first time he had thought that about Merlin. It had been the same situation as Lancelot. Was his servant destined to forever make friends with all the wrong people?

"What?" One day, Arthur was sure that Merlin was going to learn the meaning of tact and subtlety. But for now, the servant just blinked up at his master. Arthur knew that Merlin hadn't listened to a word he had just said. It was a feeling he had become all too familiar with since Merlin had entered his service.

"Oh go back to Gaius and see if he needs any help with any of the wounded." Arthur ordered, sighing and running his hand through his hair in the process. If he was honest, he wouldn't mind just being able to stop for a while, let down his defences and crash out. The melee had taken it out of him, the fact that once again, sorcery had been used to turn the odds against him and try and take his life. If it wasn't for Gwaine, Arthur knew he would be dead. Knowing that was on Merlin's mind, the prince found that he couldn't even make some sort of comment, not considering he owed the man his life.

Merlin gave him a quizzical look, but Arthur stared him down. He knew full well that he would be able to relax in Merlin's presence; he had done it enough times. Only this was different, he was making the choice to do it alone. He needed time to think, to process all that had happened since Gwaine had whirlwind through their lives.

"Are you sure? Do you need anything first?" Arthur simply shook his head, forcing himself to stay standing and not look longingly towards his chair whilst his servant was in the room. Why did Merlin chose now of all times in order to try and be an actual servant?

"Just go." As if realising that he had effectively been given the evening off, Merlin's brain finally caught up with him and he turned, almost running out of the chambers. As soon as he was gone, Arthur sat down, sagging into the chair with a long groan of appreciation. He had been lucky in the fight, nothing that a hot bath wouldn't cure, but that didn't stop his body from aching. It had taken a battering; being pulled down from a horse like that always left a bruise or two.

Yet right now, Arthur found that it was not the physical pain he was in that was causing him to feel so restless. It was the mental ache that had taken up residence in his head, pounding uncomfortably against his skull as it mocked him.

He had been wrong.

So very wrong.

How could he have ever thought that there was anything more to Merlin than met the eye? If there was one thing he _was_ sure about when it came to his servant, it was that Merlin would never let anyone get hurt to protect him. Rubbing his hand across his eyes, Arthur sighed.

He was certain that Merlin would have been almost devastated that in stepping in to save him, Gwaine had nearly been executed. The man had still been banished even after everything that had happened, and Arthur knew it was only because Merlin hadn't been the only one he had saved that meant the rogue man still had a head attached. But if Merlin hadn't wanted Gwaine to be caught in the crossfire, why had he let it happen? Why hadn't he helped himself when cornered by those thugs instead of letting someone else get involved?

Arthur blew out a long breath, trying to stop himself from yawning in the process. In his mind, it could only mean one thing. It might be true that Merlin was hiding something, yet Arthur was now convinced that he had it all wrong. If Merlin could indeed do magic the way Arthur had been beginning to suspect, then he would have been able to get himself out of the situation. Gwaine would never have been in trouble and Merlin would have been able to hold onto a dear friend.

And Arthur would most likely be dead.

Letting out a groan as he realised this was probably more complicated than he thought, the prince forced his thoughts to move on. Say Merlin had fought back against the men. He might have stopped one of them – leaving the other free to make accusations and the servant would have been the one with his head on the block. When it came to magic, even Arthur wasn't sure he would be able to persuade his father to change his mind; the case with Guinevere in the past had proven that. With no Merlin to protest, the remaining thug would have killed Arthur on the battlefield, for Gwaine wouldn't have thought to intervene if Merlin had been executed.

Yet what if Merlin had killed them both in order to protect himself? Arthur wouldn't think any less of the man for it; he had been made to do the same thing in the past. But would the outcome be any different? Possibly not – Merlin then would have been charged with their murders even if the magic remained a secret. The sentence would have been the same, and no doubt Arthur's own fate would have ultimately been the same.

There was something about thinking things through like this that made Arthur realise quite how much he took things for granted. Merlin might have been hiding something, yet it was clearly more complicated than that. In this occasion, he had been forced to play the vulnerable servant, risking getting himself hurt if not worse to avoid a worse fate. If the thugs had killed, or even hurt, his manservant, then Arthur would have lived. They would have never made it as far as the fight before the furious prince would have attacked them. Yet if Merlin had struck back in any other way, the situation would have played out rather differently.

Climbing to his feet, Arthur swore as he began pacing. Did those kind of thoughts flicker through Merlin's head as he had stood there, vulnerable and open to the thuggery? Or had the fear been so genuine that he had just frozen? Or had Arthur been wrong all along and he was looking into something that wasn't even there?

Knowing that until he had some sort of answer, he wouldn't be able to get any rest, the prince grabbed his sword and slipped it easily through his belt. He needed to talk to Merlin; he had to find out what had truly happened in those chambers. Until he could be persuaded that he either had had this whole situation completely wrong, or reassured that Merlin had been acting with everyone's best interests at heart, Arthur knew he would get no rest. And if anyone was to ask, he could say that he was going to see Gaius for something to ease away the aches and bruises of the fight.

The walk to the physician's chambers was one that Arthur knew well. It was one of the first routes he had learnt as a boy, one of the first he had been allowed to walk on his own. Yet Arthur wasn't sure he had ever felt as nervous as he did now. There would be no hiding in the shadows eavesdropping this time; he was going to flat out ask Merlin what had happened. Now that he had begun to have his suspicions, Arthur was sure that he was getting better at figuring out whether Merlin was lying or not. At face value, he would appear to accept whatever story his servant fed him. Underneath it all, however, Arthur would be coming to his own conclusions.

Arthur didn't knock, he simply strode straight on. But what he hadn't been expecting was for there to be no sign of Merlin. Gaius was bent over a bed, administering a potion to an unconscious knight, but his ward was nowhere to be seen. Hearing the door, Gaius had straightened up and turned.

"Can I help you, Sire?"

"I need to see Merlin." Arthur said firmly, trying to make it so that Gaius wouldn't question why. Unfortunately, the old man shook his head.

"I'm afraid I sent him to bed, My Lord, he looked exhausted. It was good of you to give him the evening off."

"I…" Arthur didn't know how to say that he had only sent the boy away because even thinking about Merlin was giving him a headache. His servant was a conundrum, and Arthur hated the fact that he still hadn't figured out the key to the riddle.

"Arthur?" Knowing that Gaius would be able to read his expression, Arthur glanced towards Merlin's door.

"I really need to talk to him." He said quietly, not caring how it made him sound. Gaius had witnessed the prince at his most vulnerable for years, and right now, Arthur had a throbbing headache brewing.

"About?"

"What happened when he was attacked. Why Gwaine stepped in."

"He stepped in to help a friend, Arthur. I thought that was something you would be able to appreciate." The stern note in the old man's voice made Arthur realise how that had come across and he shook his head, exhaustion crashing over him. Gaius moved forward, resting a hand on Arthur's shoulder and pushing him down into a stool.

"What is this really about, Sire?" Arthur stared up at Gaius blearily, suddenly away of how tired he was. Not because of what had just happened, but of constantly trying to second guess his servant, trying to work out what had truly gone on in a situation where he had been told one thing and realised that the pieces didn't add up. Did everyone thing that he was really that stupid?

"Why was Gwaine needed to help him? I'm not asking why did he go, that I understand. What I want to know is why he _had _to in the first place?"

"You would rather Merlin had gotten hurt?" There was such an incredulous look on Gaius' face that Arthur blinked. The old man truly looked astonished, like he believed that if Gwaine hadn't stepped in when he did, something bad would have happened to Merlin. Arthur had always assumed that if Merlin was hiding something, the physician would know what it was. Not only did they live together, but had developed a father/son bond that the prince was jealous of over the years. But the look on Gaius' face right now suggested otherwise.

"That's the thing, Gaius, I'm not sure that he would have got hurt. I think Merlin would have had a way out of it."

"How? Those thugs had him pinned against the wall, they were throwing knives at him. You yourself have tried to train Merlin in the past, you know that he is no good at things like that."

"But…" Arthur found that he was glancing towards Merlin's closed door, wondering about the boy within. He had definitely been wrong to think that Gaius knew what was happening, for his voice was fierce and protective, coupled with a hint of anger at Arthur for suggesting that Merlin should have been left there to fend for himself. Seeing the look on the prince's face, Gaius sighed.

"You've had a long and trying day, Sire, why don't you get some sleep?"

"No, I need to talk to him. Go and wake him up, Gaius, that's an order." Arthur knew that in the past, speaking to the physician like that would have earned him a clip around the ear. These days, it just subjected him to a disappointed look.

"Very well. But drink this first." As Gaius pressed a phial into his hand, Arthur glanced at it quizzically.

"What is it?"

"It's for that headache you are brewing, Sire. I won't let you take your pain out on Merlin when I can do something about it." There was such honesty in Gaius' answer that Arthur simply shrugged. Pulling out the stopper, he took a breath and downed the entire contents in one. Considering what Gaius' potions normally tasted like, this one wasn't too bad. Almost immediately, a calmness settled over him, warming and soothing as it eased away the aches and pains. Arthur was just about to make a comment that it had indeed helped his head when he suddenly pitched forward.

For an old man, Gaius could move amazingly fast. As the sleeping draught dragged Arthur under, Merlin's bedroom door opened. It had been true, he had sent his ward to get some sleep after seeing the tiredness lingering in Merlin's eyes when he had got back from Arthur. Yet the warlock hadn't been able to sleep, his mind turning over the events that had just happened. He had heard Arthur's voice through the door, but by the time that he had pulled on a shirt and his boots, Gaius had already drugged Arthur.

"What's going on?" He muttered quietly, hurrying down the stairs in order to help his mentor with the unconscious prince. Between the two of them, they got Arthur lifted onto the bed and Merlin draped a blanket over his master.

"He had a bad headache and was clearly hurting from the fight. This way, he can just sleep it off."

"You're a bad liar, Gaius."

"And I could say the same about you, my boy." Merlin blinked, staring up at the physician and swallowing hard when Gaius looked at him pointedly.

"Why's Arthur here, Gaius?"

"He seems to think that you would have managed to get yourself out of that situation on your own."

"He knows?" Without thinking about the fact that Arthur was unconscious, Merlin took a step back, his teeth teasing his bottom lip in concern. Gaius laid a fatherly hand on Merlin's shoulder softly.

"I don't think he knows what he knows, Merlin. He came here looking for answers tonight."

"Maybe…maybe it's time then?" Merlin muttered, staring down at his master. If Arthur was going to react badly, surely he would have already confronted Merlin on it, he would have already demanded answers before having him dragged off to the dungeon. Or even just skipped the former part of that plan and had Merlin hauled up in front of his father. But if Arthur was thinking it through, determined to try and find out what was going on, did that mean that Merlin had been wrong not to trust Arthur before?

"That is up to you, Merlin. But the mood he was in, that would have turned into an argument. If he suspects, if he knows, and something kicks off, he will hold it over your head. Knowing and accepting aren't the same thing, it's up to you whether you think that it is worth taking the risk or not, or whether you are best to wait to see what happens now."

"I never thought that he would figure it out for himself." Merlin muttered, staring as Arthur shifted slightly, moving closer to the warmth of the blanket.

"Maybe you should trust in him more. He seems to trust in you."

"Maybe."

"What will you do?" Merlin sighed, running a hand through his hair as he gazed steadily at his master.

"Sleep on it," he eventually muttered, knowing that he was in no state to be making decisions that could potentially cost him his life. "And then… who knows. Maybe he is ready?"

With those words, Merlin turned on his heel and headed back up the stairs. But before he shut his bedroom door, he stared at Arthur for another long moment. The prince probably didn't realise quite how much he had changed for his servant by coming here tonight. Merlin thought he knew all there was to know about Arthur.

It seemed that he was wrong.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hope you enjoy this next part. Thanks again for all of the support so far.**

Arthur twisted awkwardly, his arm stretched up his back as his fingers traced the fading bruise as gently as he could. It still stung when pressure was added, but he knew that it had been a lot worse when he had done it. In fact, Arthur knew that it had been more than a bruise. It had to be, there was no way he could have knocked himself out for that long.

Well, actually, Arthur knew that he could have done, it had happened before. But if he had simply knocked himself out, then why had Merlin spent the whole journey home practically jumping at shadows? Arthur was convinced that something else had happened, something that Merlin hadn't told him. Something that not only had made Merlin genuinely fear for Arthur's life, but that had disturbed him more greatly than the servant had felt like he could say.

Of course, the prince had then been distracted by Morgana's birthday feast and been distraught at her accident. He had only just her back into his life, back where she belonged, the thought that he could be losing her again… Arthur wasn't even sure how that had made him feel. He knew that he wasn't the only one affected though, Gwen's tears, his father's sombre looks… Merlin's silences.

Arthur wasn't a fool. He knew that Merlin was feeling more than he was letting on. A few years ago, Arthur would have teased his servant, claiming that Merlin was harbouring feelings for Morgana and that it had been those feelings that were causing him to act so strangely.

But after everything that had been going on recently, the prince wasn't so sure anymore. He still couldn't get out of his head the very first conversation that he had overheard between Gaius and Merlin, the one that had begun to make him suspect everything was not quite the way it seemed or not. He hadn't been sure for a few months now what to make of it, every time he thought he had figured it out, something happened that forced him to change his mind.

What Arthur did know, however, was that there was something going on between Merlin and Morgana, and it was nothing romantic. When Gwen walked into the room, he felt his body relax and a small smile tug at his lips even before she had so much as glanced at him, just wanting to shout to the word how he felt about the maid. But with Morgana and Merlin, it was as if something had sucked all the heat from the room.

How they thought they were getting away with it, he had no idea. But Arthur had practically grown up with Morgana and he had spent more time in Merlin's company than anyone else's over the last few years. He knew them both too well in order to be able to look the other way when they glared at each other from across the room. Whilst he would never admit it out loud, they were two of the closest people to him, the ones that had helped him become the man that he now was. To have them at odds with each other was just something of an annoyance.

But Merlin's face as he had come bursting into Arthur's chambers almost a week ago, yelling something about an accident and Morgana… That was a look Arthur knew that he was never going to forget. Merlin did look almost stricken over what had happened, but there had been something so much more to his expression when Arthur had stolen glances at his servant as they had ran to the scene. He did look horrified, but it didn't seem to be over what had happened. It was more the fact that it _had_ happened, as if he was some part responsible for Morgana falling down the stairs. Merlin shouldn't have been in this part of the castle at this time of night, and Arthur found himself storing away the small details for later.

When Gaius had declared that there was a strong chance that Morgana might not be waking up this time, Arthur had completely forgotten about the look on Merlin's face. The woman he had considered to be a sister to him was dying – again – and just like every other time something had happened to her, Arthur had to just stand on the side lines and watch as others tried to save her. His father had told him the very first week that Morgana had moved to Camelot that it was up to Arthur to look after her and to keep her safe. Whilst the child in him at the time had promised to do so with great delight, it was a promise that Arthur had always intended to keep. But forced to stand at her bedside and watch her pale, unmoving face, Arthur wondered what it was about Morgana that always seemed to make him break his promise through no fault of his own.

It was true Merlin had been quiet in those few days, but that was nothing out of the ordinary. The whole castle seemed to have a hush settling over it, as if everyone was holding their breath and waiting for the outcome. But why was it then that as days passed, Merlin's expression changed. The lost, hopeless look that Arthur knew was reflected in his eyes if not his face gradually disappeared from Merlin's. Instead, the servant seemed to be simply looking more and more guilty, and for the life of him, Arthur couldn't figure out why.

He hadn't done anything about it. What was he supposed to do when the King's ward was battling for her life only months after being brought back to Camelot? Instead, Arthur had found himself caught up in the grief that he knew was about to hit him whilst making sure that things in the kingdom didn't slip too far as his father also lost focus.

But then Morgana had got better. Better in a way that Arthur didn't think was possibly, and judging from the slightly stunned expression that had still been on Gaius' face when Arthur had gone to see the physician a few hours later, he hadn't thought was possibly either. Yet Merlin hadn't looked surprised, he had almost looked resigned. As if he knew that once again he was battling odds that he had no chance of overcoming, he just had to keep on fighting. But why, surely Morgana being alive was a good thing?

Arthur had spent days puzzling over Merlin's odd behaviour, and that was why he now found himself examining the bruise on his back. The angle was awkward, but he knew that he couldn't exactly get his servant to give him a hand considering it was said servant that Arthur was trying to figure out. Instead, he simply twisted his body around as much as he could and peered into the mirror, hoping for something to be revealed. For a long while, all he was seeing was the bruise, something that seemed to imply Merlin's story had been perfectly accurate.

Eventually, however, Arthur had pressed slightly too hard. Biting back a wince, the prince had leant closer into the mirror. Once again, it had taken a few moments of staring before Arthur blinked, his heart pounding hard. It wasn't just a bruise on his back; there was a slight scrape through the centre of it. So small that at a quick glance, nothing could be seen. Yet there could be no denying that it was there, and Arthur found that his heart was pounding hard as he tried to remember precisely what had happened.

Merlin had said that the arrow hadn't pierced his armour. Yet this scrape implied that something at least had got through in order to scratch at his skin. Despite not wanting to bring it to mind, Arthur could also remember a deep, agonising pain spreading out from in between his shoulders. Upon awakening, he thought that he had just imagined it, but now he wasn't so sure. What if the arrow had pierced his armour? What if he hadn't been knocked out, but dying?

Perhaps most importantly, however, what if Merlin had pulled off the impossible as normal and saved him? What if… Just what if it was Merlin who had saved Morgana as well – an impossible recovery when all else seemed lost. It wouldn't have been the first time that it had happened since the servant had arrived in Camelot, yet Arthur couldn't bring anything to mind about it happening before. As dear as Gaius was to him, Arthur knew the physician's skills hadn't suddenly increased in order for this to happen.

But if Merlin had saved him out there, then how did that explain the look on his face as they had travelled back to Camelot, the way he had almost seemed haunted. Arthur had seen that look before as well, he was sure of it.

Shrugging his shirt back on, Arthur wrapped his belt around his waist and picked up his sword, striding for the door even as thoughts started to lodge themselves in his head. He knew that he had gone around in circles for a while now contemplating whether or not he thought his servant had magic. Yet if the arrow had pierced his armour, then what other explanation was there in order to explain why he was alive?

How on earth he made it from the castle on his own, Arthur had no idea. But with a fast horse and the wind in his hair, he found himself feeling more alive than he had done for days. He knew that travelling to the very place they had been attacked was foolish, but Arthur simply had to know. If anyone else had been in that clearing with them, then perhaps he was wrong about Merlin and someone else had helped. Or maybe he was wrong about everything and he had simply knocked himself out? But in order to find out, Arthur knew that he had to travel to that same spot.

The moon was high in the sky by the time that he got there, but the forest had been thankfully bandit free. Leaving his horse tied to a nearby tree, his sword at his waist and a crossbow in his hands (one could never be too careful), Arthur inched his way forward. Every sense seemed to be on high alert, yet the forest was silent apart from an owl calling softly into the night sky. Even so, Arthur was finding that he couldn't bring himself to let his guard down in the slightest as he dropped into a crouch.

He knew this was the right place; there were even the small remnants of a fire that Merlin had lit whilst the prince had been unconscious. But it wasn't just that…Arthur could feel a shiver running down his spine, almost as if there was someone there, watching him. Upon looking, nothing was revealed and Arthur couldn't help but feel the eyes were friendly rather than threatening, but it still made the prince want to hurry up and get away from there as quickly as he could. He never liked the feeling of invisible eyes, somehow feeling that they could see more than just his physical appearance and into his very soul whilst he couldn't even locate their source.

Moving swiftly from the fire, Arthur could just about make out the tracks where Merlin had clearly been walking around. The weather had been bad since then, but the covering the foliage offered meant the servant's footsteps were still imprinted in the mud. Unable to stop himself, Arthur found that he was propping the crossbow against the tree and letting his hand trace the shape of Merlin's step, carefully looking around to find the next before he moved.

He was careful, making sure that he didn't obscure any of the evidence that he was using as he followed in Merlin's footsteps. More than once, he realised that he was being led in an exact circle as Merlin clearly paced and waited for Arthur to wake up. But then the direction changed wildly, and Arthur found that his heart was beating fast again as he slowly began to track the footsteps away from the clearing. What would have mad Merlin move away, especially if Arthur was unconscious. The prince wanted to say it was the bandits, but he knew that Merlin was loyal almost to a fault and that he would have never left Arthur defenceless. Ever since thoughts had begun to plague him about his servant, Arthur wasn't sure he could say that Merlin wouldn't have been able to stand a chance. Maybe he could, maybe he was better at defending himself than Arthur was?

The thought almost made the prince laugh out loud, but he caught himself just in time. He knew that he had to keep his mind open to thoughts like that now, especially as he was trying to work out what it was that Merlin was hiding. Even so, he couldn't stop himself from chortling slightly as he continued to follow the footsteps.

The amusement was short lived as Arthur found himself in the entrance of a cave. For some reason that he couldn't explain, Arthur found that he was swallowing hard, glancing about him before taking a step towards the entrance. But he never took another step.

Arthur wasn't sure why. It wasn't as if anything scared him off or anything like that, there was just a feel about the place. Something that almost seemed to scream power. Not the same type of power that his father and even he had, but something raw, almost natural. Whatever was here, Arthur knew that his sword would not protect him here. His mind was battling with his feet, trying to get them to take the next step, but it was as if they didn't belong to him anymore. For some reason, Arthur could just feel a heaviness settling into his limbs when he thought about moving and it was as if he was incapable of moving.

Eventually, the prince managed to stumble backwards and the heaviness immediately vanished. Arthur wasted no more time but turned on his heel, hurrying back towards the clearing. It might be the middle of the night, but he knew that he simply had to get back to the safety of Camelot. For the first time in years, Arthur found himself seeking the comfort of a warm bed.

It was only when the prince was back in said bed that he allowed his mind to wonder again. It had been almost too easy sneaking in and out of Camelot, but that wasn't what was troubling the young prince at that particular moment. He felt as if someone had been warning him back from that cave. It wasn't so much that it posed a danger to him, just it was not meant for his eyes. What lay within, Arthur had no idea.

But Merlin did. Arthur wasn't sure how he knew that his servant had gone in rather than just going to the entrance as Arthur had, it was just a feeling he couldn't deny. But something in that cave had called out to Merlin, and the clumsy servant had responded. Now Arthur was almost sure that Merlin had been lying when he said that the arrow hadn't pierced the armour.

It had, and Merlin had paid some sort of price for Arthur to be healed. Whatever he had seen in that cave was somehow directed to what had then happened with Morgana, although Arthur had to admit he didn't have a clue how.

He did, however, know something else. That cave had held sheer amounts of power. Somehow, it had welcomed Merlin in when it hadn't Arthur. It might sound ludicrous, and Arthur knew he would doubt his own sanity if it wasn't for what he had already overheard between his servant and the court physician.

But for the first time since Merlin came to Camelot, Arthur was truly beginning to realise something.

Merlin had his own sort of power, something that Arthur knew he would never be able to rival. At the back of his mind, Arthur knew he had accepted that.

What scared him more was thinking just how strong that power was if he had walked into that cave and walked out again with nothing more than a slightly haunted look in his eye, then what couldn't Merlin do?

Precisely who was it that helped Arthur get dressed every morning?


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry it's been a while, real life got in the way. Off on Christmas holidays now, so should be able to get a few more updates done.**

His father had always taught him that magic was evil, that it was something that had to be destroyed and apprehended whenever they caught someone practising it. It was the same thing that Arthur had been trained to do all of his life, had been ordered out to do on more than one occasion, often resulting in more than one death before his father could be satisfied that the problem was solved.

But right now, Arthur couldn't help but feel being forced to marry someone that he had no feelings for was a greater evil. Elena was a lovely girl, Arthur couldn't deny that. For once, there was no hidden intent; no subterfuge about what it was that she wanted. Arthur knew precisely what she didn't want, however, and that was the same as him. He loved Gwen; there was no way that he could make himself marry someone he had no feelings other than a certain fondness for when his heart belonged to another.

That was why he had to say no. Right there, in front of everyone, he had done the worst thing he could to Elena. Yet she had simply smiled softly at him, and Arthur knew that if he was ever going to love her, it would have been right there in that moment. His father looked furious, but Arthur found that he didn't particularly care. All of his life he had strived to please the man and do what was best for Camelot. This time, Arthur didn't care who called him selfish, he was not going to ruin the rest of his life with someone that felt like they would be doing the same thing.

Merlin had somehow known what decision he would make, and had a jug of wine waiting back in Arthur's rooms. The prince barely even took his crown off before he poured some out, taking a long draught as he flopped back in his chair and sighed. Now he was even more confused than ever, for there had certainly been something different about Elena at the wedding. She had seemed elegant, royal…like a true princess. Arthur had already made his decision when he had walked in the room, but what if Elena had been like that from the very beginning? Would he have been able to go through with it, or would he have found himself liking the princess more and more? Shaking his head, Arthur decided not to let it bother him for now, and so instead took another gulp of wine.

"Get into bed before you finish it, I don't fancy having to haul your drunken backside up there myself."

There weren't many time that Arthur could be caught unaware. Yet when he was drowning his sorrows after another near marriage, his senses weren't exactly as alert as they should have been. Merlin had probably been in the room for this whole time, watching the flickering expressions on Arthur's face as he tried to get his head around what had just happened. Or nearly happened, one of them.

"It's your job." Arthur muttered, leaning back in the chair and closing his eyes. He had a thumping headache, and whilst he knew that the wine wasn't helping, he had no intention of stopping. Merlin muttered something behind him, something that Arthur clearly wasn't supposed to hear. But despite Merlin's mumbling, Arthur definitely caught something about jobs, destinies and saving princes within that short sentence. Despite himself, Arthur found that he was tensing slightly, his eyes cracking open in order to glance at Merlin. The man was busying himself with the other end of the room, pretending to work in order to give his master some space.

Somehow, Arthur knew what he had to do. Something had changed about Elena; the difference had been there for everyone to see. But what the prince couldn't fathom out was how he never saw the difference with Merlin. If the man was as magical as Arthur was beginning to suspect, why couldn't he see it? Did Merlin ever change when he used magic? Not that Arthur knew what changes he was expecting – to suddenly look evil, perhaps? He snorted slightly, wondering if Merlin was even capable of evil. Somehow Arthur doubted it.

But Merlin could see that Arthur was relaxed and drinking. Maybe he would let his own guard down slightly? Checking that Merlin wasn't watching, Arthur grabbed the jug and poured half of the contents into the bowl of apples that was sitting in front of him. Merlin would no doubt figure it out when they started to smell, but with any luck, Arthur would have the answers he wanted by then. The prince slouched back further, trying to make his face relaxed and unguarded.

"Merlin…" Making his voice slur slightly, Arthur grinned dopily as Merlin turned around. The servant's eyes narrowed and he was moving before Arthur had truly thought about whether he wanted this plan to happen or not. As Merlin snatched the cup from his hand, peering into the jug as he did so, Arthur knew that it was too late now. He couldn't pretend to be drunk and then sober the next second, even Merlin would figure that one out.

"Arthur, what have you done?" Merlin scolded, and the prince found that he was frowning at how much that tone of voice made him feel ashamed.

"You just need to loosen up." Arthur practically yelled back, making sure his fake smile didn't slip. Even so, he found that he was turning away from Merlin as he did so, wanting to make sure that the man didn't see through his plan. To have kept hidden his magic, Arthur knew that he must be sharp.

But not tonight.

Tonight was Arthur's turn to play the lie and see if he could get away with it. Lurching forward as he stood up, Arthur deliberately crashed straight into the corner of the table, making sure to jolt it violently. Considering how much he had to bite back a wince at the impact, Arthur knew that it had certainly been hard enough to knock the jug enough for the left over wine to be spilt straight down the white shirt that Merlin had left draped over another chair earlier that evening. He heard Merlin curse behind him, but made the point of ignoring it until he had stumbled a few paces towards the fire place.

"Maybe it is time for you to retire for the night?" There was a tentative suggestion in Merlin's voice as Arthur turned to face him. Although the prince could see the annoyance in his face, he was sure that he wasn't imagining the slightly pink tinge to Merlin's cheeks. One glance at the table told Arthur what he needed to know.

Not a single drop had been spilt. He may have realised that he hadn't been noticing everything about his servant, yet even Arthur knew that Merlin's clumsiness was not faked. There was no way that he would have been able to move in time to stop that jug from spilling. Yet if nothing had fallen, then there was another way that Merlin could have prevented the accident from happening.

Realising that his servant was still waiting for an answer, Arthur mock scowled.

"Now why would I want to do that, _Mer_lin?" He drawled, inwardly wincing at how unconvincing he was sounding. Merlin seemed to frown at him for a moment, but Arthur swiftly turned away. The man had seen him drunk enough times to be able to tell when he was faking it, of that Arthur was sure. He couldn't let Merlin realise what he was doing, he had to make sure that his servant believed that Arthur's guard was down and that he was less aware of his surroundings than he normally was.

For how else was Arthur supposed to get Merlin to reveal his magic?

Now that the thought was in his head, he simply couldn't let it go. He knew that Camelot's fate was beginning to rest more heavily on his shoulders than it ever had before. The way that his father had tried to push him into this marriage had been a sign of that. Arthur knew that he had no idea what he was going to have to do next in order to protect his future kingdom, both now and in years to come. A good commander, a good knight, always knew what they had on their side before planning a strategy. Arthur simply had to know for sure, one way or the other, whether his servant had magic or not.

"You've had a little too much to drink, Sire. Just think about Gwen… you've just turned down a marriage and infuriated your father in doing so for her. She won't go anywhere near you if she knows that this is how you get every time something upset you."

"I'm not upset." His voice came out far sharper than Arthur intended and he couldn't help but wince slightly as Merlin frowned at him. Instead, he rested a hand against the wall and pretended to lean heavily on it, making it look like he was slipping over. It was enough for Merlin, who simply rolled his eyes and began approaching.

"You don't have to hide how you are feeling from me, Arthur. You were nearly forced to marry someone you don't love. I can't think of anything worse."

"That's because you are a girl, _Mer_lin. It's the way of the court, it's expected of me."

"Yet you defied those expectations today, Sire."

Arthur hated the way there seemed to be almost a flicker of respect in Merlin's voice as he approached. Especially considering Arthur was staging the whole thing as a deceit. What had he done in order to make Merlin live a lie, to want to stay in Camelot? Arthur was fully aware that if he had a gift that was punishable by death, he would have been out of Camelot like a shot had their positions been reversed. Yet not only had Merlin stayed, he had accepted his role as Arthur's servant and been by his side ever since.

And not once tried to harm him.

"Arthur? Are you okay? Come on, you need to get to bed." When Merlin had got so close, Arthur had no idea. But judging by the way that his hand was beginning to rise in order to take Arthur's arm to lead him to bed, the future king knew that if he was going to act, it was going to have to be now. If Merlin got him into bed, then the whole thing would have been for nothing and Arthur wasn't sure when he would get another chance.

He stepped back sharply; making sure Merlin couldn't reach him and took a small step towards the window. He could have predicted Merlin's huff of irritation, and sure enough, the noise came only seconds later. Arthur was ready for it though. He used the sound of Merlin's moan to knock the poker from its stand next to the fireplace, catching it on his foot to muffle the noise and lowering it gently to the floor.

"Don't want to go to bed." He stepped backwards again even as he turned to face Merlin, making sure that the poker was more than obvious. Not knowing whether Merlin would pick up on it or not, Arthur even knocked his foot against it, making it rattle slightly against the floor. He watched as Merlin's eyes glanced down before widening in worry.

If Arthur was to step back and slip, he could easily crack his head on the wall.

And that was precisely what the prince planned to do.

Arthur knew that if he was wrong about this, if he had made the smallest mistake, he could potentially be doing himself some serious damage. Yet he couldn't forget about all the scraps they had been in over the years. Not only did Merlin always seem to survive when knights were killed, despite his lack of weaponry and armour, but that Arthur too always walked away. A few years ago, he would have said it was because of his skill. Now, however, he wasn't so sure.

"Arthur, I need you to step towards me. You don't have to go to bed, that's fine. You can sit up and mope over Gwen…"

"Elena."

"Excuse me?"

"I need to see Elena; I need to say I'm sorry…"

"Sire, you cannot be seen near her chambers, you know what would happen." Merlin was stepping closer this time, playing right into Arthur's hands. As his servant approached, Arthur took a step back. He made sure that he laughed as he did so, throwing his head back and looking at the ceiling. But although his head was pointed up, his eyes were locked on Merlin's.

The prince couldn't even comprehend what happened next.

As nothing did.

He stepped back where he knew for certain that the poker was going to be. Yet all that happened was a soft rattle and his foot fell against a clear floor again.

But Merlin's eyes…

It was obvious that Merlin believed the prince to be looking the other way. If he was honest, Arthur knew how oblivious he was when he was drunk. Well, apparently he had been oblivious the whole time, but that wasn't quite the point. Either way, Merlin hadn't exactly tried to hide the way that his eyes flashed golden just in time to match the sound of the poker being moved out of harm's way. For a long moment, the prince made sure that he kept his gaze away from Merlin's, but when he finally lowered his head again, all traces of mirth – faked or otherwise – were gone from his face.

"Why don't you come back to the table, Arthur, you can have another drink?" It was clear that Merlin had no idea that Arthur had just witnessed everything that happened. Arthur nodded, stumbling forward as he tried to keep his breathing under control. He could feel his heart pounding uncomfortably hard against his ribcage, almost trying to betray him by alerting Merlin to just how unsure of everything Arthur currently was.

If he hadn't begun to have suspicions already, the prince wasn't sure how he would react. But somehow knowing that he had been right all this time, and yet it had taken something deliberate to make Merlin reveal himself… Just how long had the man been practising magic in the heart of Camelot for? Had it ben this entire time and Arthur just hadn't noticed? Who else knew, or was everything Merlin did and said a lie?

"…Arthur?!" Snapping fingers in front of his face brought Arthur back to reality and he blinked to find Merlin watching him with a strange expression on his face. It was obvious that was not the first time he had tried to get the prince's attention.

"What?" Arthur knew that his voice sounded far from drunk now, yet he was amazed that he could talk at all.

"I asked if you were alright, you've gone rather pale?"

"Bed. I need bed." Brushing past Merlin, Arthur threw himself down on the bed and buried his head in the pillow. He wasn't surprised that he had gone pale; he could feel the bile clawing at his throat. Luckily, Merlin knew not to argue and somehow navigated the covers out from under Arthur and pulled them over him before leaving the room, only pausing to blow out a candle and whisper a goodnight as he did so.

As soon as he was gone, Arthur sat back up again, forcing himself to take a few deep breaths.

What on earth was he supposed to do now?

He knew that Merlin wasn't evil. He knew that everything his father had ever told him about magic didn't apply in the case of his servant. And deep down, Arthur knew that he had made up his mind ever since he had first begun suspecting things about what he would do when he knew for sure. In a way, it was like he had already accepted Merlin's magic. He knew that if he had not, he wouldn't have tried a stunt that could have got him killed if he didn't trust the magic to save him.

It wasn't the magic that was the problem here.

What Arthur wanted to know now was how long it was going to take Merlin to stop lying to him? After all, if it hadn't been for overhearing just a few words of conversation by chance one day, then Arthur knew that he would have still been oblivious as always.

Resting his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands, Arthur found himself staring at the poker with a fierce intensity, almost trying to take out the turmoil of emotions running through his head on the piece of metal in front of him. No one had ever trained him for finding out the man you considered to be your closest friend had magic and yet still wanted to serve you in some way or another. There were no rules, no guidelines about how you were supposed to react or how you were supposed to let them know that you know, but weren't about to have them carted off to the dungeons. Arthur had no idea what he was supposed to do in order to get Merlin to trust him enough to tell him.

And for the first time in his life, Arthur hated the fact that that trust wasn't reciprocated. He thought that he had found a true friend in Merlin.

Could he have been wrong? After all, trust was supposed to work both ways, was it not?


	6. Chapter 6

**Oh I love being on holiday and finally being able to catch up on some writing. Next chapter already for you. Thank you so much for the amazing support with this story, it really means a lot to me. Just to think, I was going to leave it as a one-shot.  
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**Seriously, I cannot tell you how much it means to me that you are enjoying the progress of this story. Hope you like this chapter. I only ask that if you want to leave constructive criticism, you log in to do it. With issues such as characterisation etc, I would love to hear your thoughts and therefore have a way of replying to you - anonymous reviewing I can't do that and therefore can't explain how I see it/take on board how other people see things. Thank you.  
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Locked in a cell with his servant, Arthur had a feeling that would have been a good time to mention that he knew the certain secret that Merlin had been keeping. It would be a handy trick of getting them out of there, that was for sure. But when they had started talking about torture and pain, Arthur found that he was slightly too distracted scaring himself (not that he would ever admit it!) with ideas about what Cendred was going to do to him before he realised that Arthur was not going to talk. Considering how often Merlin was always going on about protecting him and being by his side no matter what, Arthur had partly hoped that Merlin would chose this time himself in order to admit to it. After all, they were talking about the fact that if they didn't get out of here, Arthur would be tortured to death. In Arthur's eyes, Merlin didn't have a lot to lose to admitting it now.

But he didn't, however, and Arthur found himself increasingly nervous about saying anything. What if Merlin took it the wrong way the fact that Arthur had gone behind his back in order to find out? Locked in a cell, the prince was acutely aware that there wasn't a lot he would be able to do to defend himself. As soon as the thought crossed his mind, however, Arthur inwardly scolded himself. As if Merlin would do anything to him, the lying was so that he could stay in Camelot and by Arthur's side. Bit pointless if he was then just going to lash out when Arthur admitted to knowing.

But regardless of the fact that he knew he was being stupid, Arthur found that once the thought had lodged in his head, he was finding it increasingly difficult to get it to go again. Maybe the threat of what was about to happen had got to him more than he thought. As a knight of Camelot and her future leader, he had been trained with how to withstand physical pain and knew that he would never betray his people. But what concerned Arthur more was that everyone he cared about was here with him. They had already use Gwen to lure him here in the first place, what if they turned their hand to other methods when they realised that Arthur wouldn't talk?

Right now, escape was more important than informing Merlin that Arthur could see straight through his lies. If Merlin wasn't going to admit it here and now, Arthur didn't have the time to explain how he knew and how he had made his decision about what would happen to the warlock. Besides, if Cendred found out what Merlin could do, Arthur knew it didn't bear thinking about. He would almost be let to walk free in comparison to what they would do to Merlin. It was his duty as the man's prince and master to make sure that Merlin stayed safe, and if that meant having to act like the ignorant fool for a little longer, then so be it.

He wasn't sure how much of their escape he could put down to him and how much was Merlin. He knew that it was thanks to Merlin that he had been able to defeat the hulk of a guard outside of Gwen's cell. In a way, Arthur was glad that it didn't appear to be more than that. He had to somehow feel that he was still doing something useful, that his quests the last few years hadn't all been a complete and utter lie. He had planned this and he had carried it off, Merlin had just helped out the way any knight would do. So what if he used slightly different methods in order to do so?

Realising that Morgana wasn't with them, however, had been painful. He knew that ordering Gwen to run would work; she still viewed him from their correct stations despite their relationship. But Arthur had known as soon as he disappeared around the corner that Merlin would be right behind him. There was no way his secret protector was going to let him wonder around an enemy castle on his own with people after his blood. Not to mention he still hadn't forgotten the look on Merlin's face whenever Morgana came into the room. Arthur didn't yet know what it was that worked the warlock up so much about the king's ward, but he did know that he wouldn't be looking for her on his own.

Cornered by a pillar of fire, Arthur was incredibly grateful for that fact. As he backed up, he found himself looking around for his servant, willing Merlin to hurry up and do something. There was nothing Arthur could do to fight against the fire, all he could do was steadily move backwards and pray that he hadn't been wrong about Merlin's power.

It wasn't as if he had long to wait, however, before the pillar exploded. Morgause, Cendred and Morgana were all thrown from their feet, and Arthur had made sure that Cendred truly wasn't about to order his men after them after he had instructed Merlin to take Morgana and get out of there. Once again, he witnessed the hostility between the two of them, but knew that he had to deal with one secret at a time. Although as he ran after them, Arthur wasn't sure whether coming clean to Merlin would suddenly unravel every other mystery that seemed to surround the man.

But now they were out. The last few bandits dispatched and the five of them had set up a camp a reasonable distance away. Morgana needed to rest her leg, and whilst he would never admit it, Arthur was tired. How Merlin kept secrets, Arthur had no idea; it was giving him a headache already just trying to make sure that he didn't blurt anything out. Not that he didn't trust the people they were with, yet something was holding him back. When he spoke to his servant about the power that he had been hiding, Arthur wanted to do it when they were on their own. Merlin had always been able to bring out Arthur's more vulnerable side, the side that didn't feel like he had to be a strong prince the whole time and was allowed to show a few insecurities. Somehow, he got the feeling that when the conversation happened, it would be one of the hardest that Arthur had ever had.

Yet he wanted some way to say thank you. He knew full well that if Merlin hadn't been there, Camelot would no longer have an heir. His father had been wrong declaring that all magic was evil, yet he did have a point. With people such as Morgause use it in the way she did, Camelot wouldn't stand a chance. Arthur had been able to do nothing against the fire and he was fully aware that it was because of Merlin that he was still alive. He had to find a way of giving Merlin a clue, dropping him enough of a hint that the servant would realise that Arthur would accept the truth himself and so say something. That was what Arthur wanted, he wanted Merlin to tell him himself rather than the prince having to admit that he knew and force the truth from Merlin that way.

But as Merlin left to collect some more firewood, Arthur found that he was going along. Gwen and Elyan were talking quietly together and Arthur had no desire to interrupt them. Elyan had been gone from Camelot for so long that Arthur had forgotten that Gwen even had a brother. They had a lot to catch up on, and Arthur was content to leave them to it. Morgana was resting, although whether she was asleep or not, Arthur couldn't tell. If she was, there was no way that Arthur was about to wake her up, he had learnt that lesson the hard way during their teenage years. Giving Gwen a reassuring nod as he got to his feet, Arthur disappeared into the forest after his servant.

Merlin must have been breaking every twig that he could find considering how easy it was to locate him through the noise being made. Arthur rounded a tree to see his servant bent over, clearly picking up another one. But just as he opened his mouth to make some scathing comment about Merlin's subtlety, he froze. Merlin _was _breaking most of the twigs that he could find, and even from watching him from behind, Arthur could tell that he was upset. Had what happened really got to him that much? For all Arthur knew, that was the first time his servant had been imprisoned by an enemy like that, and maybe it had shaken him to the core? Maybe that was why he hadn't said anything – fear had a way of gripping a man in unexpected ways. Clearing his throat, Arthur gave Merlin a few moments to collect himself before walking forward.

Merlin whirled around to face him, a retort clearly on his lips before he realised who it was. But Arthur found that he almost took a step backwards at the anger burning in Merlin's eyes. It wasn't directed at him for it began to fade as soon as Merlin focused on the prince, but it had been there for long enough for Arthur to see. This time, the prince knew that Merlin was aware of the fact that he had seen the anger; he was already tensing his shoulders slightly as he waited for the questions.

"Are you alright?" Arthur wouldn't push Merlin, he wouldn't back him into a corner when he was this tense, but neither could he just shrug off the look he had seen on Merlin's face. It was so far from Merlin's usual carefree and relaxed expression that Arthur would have had to have been blind to not have noticed it before.

"Fine. Do you need anything, Sire?"

Inwardly, Arthur was screaming yes, that he needed Merlin to tell him the truth. But instead, he just shrugged.

"Just making sure that nothing has eaten you."

"Not sure that I'd be that much of a meal."

"No, more of a snack, skinny thing like you." Arthur grinned slightly as he moved closer, nudging Merlin with his shoulder gently as he did so.

"Better than being fat." Merlin retorted, but the usual spark was missing from his voice. It was as if he was answering on automatic rather than truly wanting to continue this and Arthur sighed.

"Merlin, what is it? We escaped and Gwen has been reunited with her brother. Yet you are out here skulking around as if the world is about to end."

"I'm not skulking."

"Answer the question." Arthur folded his arms across his chest, one eyebrow raised. It was clear that he wasn't moving until he had got some sort of answer. He knew that it would probably be a lie, he was beginning to realise that most of the personal things Merlin admitted to was some sort of cover up. But he couldn't in good conscience leave Merlin out here in this sort of mood when he knew that he once again owed his life to the sorcerer standing in front of him. Merlin sighed, leaning against a tree, but Arthur knew that he was just thinking about how to answer more than anything.

"Have you ever thought that you knew someone, only to be completely wrong about them?"

_Yes! He's standing in front of me!_

"What do you mean?" Arthur's brain and mouth were saying two completely different things.

"I just…oh, it doesn't matter."

"Is that about what happened, Merlin?" Arthur stepped forward, resting one hand on Merlin's shoulder as he did so. "People aren't always what they seem. I know you were there at the end, I know you saw Morgause. I think she tricked us from the very beginning, even with what she showed me about my mother. She lies and puts on a front. But that doesn't mean that there isn't a genuine person underneath. Everyone puts up walls, Merlin."

"But what if those walls coming down could be hurting the people you care about most?" Arthur had no idea that Merlin was talking about Morgana. Instead, he just took it as a sign that his servant was trying to prepare himself to tell Arthur the truth. If he looked back on that moment from years in the future, he would have been wishing it was Merlin telling him that was being discussed. It would have been a lot less painful for everyone involved if Merlin had been being selfish for once and talking about himself rather than the betrayal that was already taking place.

"Don't you think sometimes you have to risk everything? Those close to you are the ones that shouldn't be held back by walls. You have to risk everything to gain something small sometimes."

"I guess."

"Merlin, is there something you want to tell me?" For a split second, Arthur thought that this was it. Merlin looked back towards the camp, pain in his eyes as he clearly tried to make a decision. But by the time he turned back to Arthur, the easy grin that the prince knew was a cover up was back on his face again.

"No. Nothing, Sire. I'll just be getting these back." With that, Merlin gestured to the twigs in his arms and began walking back towards the camp, never looking back at Arthur. Watching him go, Arthur found that his mind was trying to catch up with what had just happened. As soon as Merlin was out of sight, Arthur smacked his head back on the tree behind him.

"Damn you, Merlin." Arthur muttered, closing his eyes and leaning against the tree. That had been the perfect chance; Arthur had truly thought that they had been talking about the same thing. But Merlin had just brushed him off yet again, almost as if he thought Arthur truly couldn't handle being able to deal with anyone else's emotions but his own. That stung slightly, but what Arthur found more pressing was that he had no idea what to do next.

What would it take for Merlin to open up to him?


	7. Chapter 7

**This was really hard to write, so hope you like.**

Arthur sat at his desk, watching as Merlin put the last few bits away from the quest. He still found that his heart was beating hard when he thought about what had happened. For a split second, he thought that Merlin had been about to come clean when he spoke about accompanying Arthur on the expedition and being able to help, but by now knew better than to be disappointed when Merlin had avoided the subject in his usual dismissive way. It did make Arthur wonder how many times their conversations had been about magic and he had just never realised it.

He should have known that Merlin would still have come along anyway. He wasn't sure whether he had been relieved or not that Gwaine too had turned up – it was just another way Merlin could deflect from what was really going on. But this time, there was no deflecting. Arthur knew that this couldn't go on for any longer, he had to do something about it. He knew that Merlin wasn't aware that Arthur knew what he could do – but right now, Arthur wasn't sure he knew what Merlin could do either.

He knew about the magic, that was certain. But he hadn't been as out of it as Merlin had believed when those beasts had approached. He had _heard_ as Merlin had simply growled at them – and they had disappeared. Arthur wasn't sure completely what had happened, his head had been spinning and his vision had stayed stubbornly black throughout the whole thing until he felt the bracelet disappear from his wrist and Merlin's face swim into view. But that voice had sent a shiver down his spine – he knew that it was something else other than magic.

In the depths of his heart, Arthur thought he knew. It made sense – Merlin's reaction, the defeat of the Great Dragon… Everything made sense apart from why Merlin hadn't mentioned that Balinor was his father. Arthur knew the legend, he knew that Dragonlord powers could be passed down from father to son. He had been watching Merlin for a while, long enough to gather enough evidence to know that Merlin was powerful. Yet the prince was certain that hadn't been a spell he had directed to the creatures, it was like he had been communicating with them.

In a way, Arthur had been prepared to let that go. After all, what was another secret compared to what Merlin was already hiding from him? But it had been the bracelet that was troubling him. Had Morgana known that it would have that sort of effect on him? Arthur knew he had been feeling not quite himself before when he had been surprised in the forest, and the fact that his symptoms had cleared as soon as it had been removed was not something that could be overlooked. This was no longer just about Merlin hiding himself away. He had actively been forced to remove something from Arthur's person in order to save his life, meaning that others were involved. How could Arthur protect himself if he didn't know what was going on?

The question was, how to bring it up in conversation? Deciding that he was just going to open his mouth and see what happened (after all, it wasn't _him _that had been hiding the truth away), Arthur took a deep breath. He didn't think that he had ever been so nervous about an upcoming conversation as he was right now.

"How would you get a dog to back off, Merlin?"

"Excuse me?" Merlin turned from where he had been folding Arthur's cloak away, facing his prince with a look of disbelief on his face. It was as if he couldn't quite believe what Arthur had just asked. For his part, Arthur found that both his heart and mind was racing, standing up as he did so. Before he truly processed how his actions would be interpreted, Arthur found that he had moved across his chambers and was standing by the door. He wasn't going to let Merlin run away from this, not any more.

"So? How would you?"

"I think you've had one too many knocks to the head, Sire." Merlin's tone was joking, echoing the same casual banter that had been taking place between the two of them as they had ridden back into Camelot. Arthur, however, just glared coolly at him. Was Merlin never going to trust him with anything?

"Fair enough. Not that you've ever owned a dog in order to know about it. But do you think it would be the same as getting a dragon to back off?"

"What?" Merlin was aiming for joking again. But he missed dramatically by the fact that his voice had risen slightly and his eyes suddenly darted around. Arthur knew what he was doing- he was looking for a change of subject. But it was as Merlin reacted that he seemed to realise that Arthur was blocking the only way out of the room. Arthur wasn't sure whether to be hurt or not by the way that Merlin swallowed obviously.

"Are they any different from a wyvrens? They're smaller, maybe they are easier…"

"Arthur, what are you talking about? Are you feeling okay? Here, come and sit down and I'll fetch you a drink."

"Not this time, Merlin. What, just going to run away and not come back until you think that I've forgotten again?" Arthur's voice was harsh and Merlin flinched.

"Forgotten what?"

"How thick do you think I am, Merlin? You know perfectly well what, I know. I've known for months, just hoped that you would pluck up the courage to tell me yourself."

"Arthur-?"

"Damnit, Merlin, stop lying to me!" The silence in the room after Arthur's yell was the most deafening thing that the prince thought he had ever heard. Realising that this wasn't showing Merlin anything to be reassured by, he forced himself to take a deep breath. He stepped away from the door, raising his hands and sitting down at the table again. Making sure that his hands stayed on the top where Merlin could see them, Arthur locked eyes with his servant. When he spoke, his voice was calm and controlled, if a little forced.

"I've known for some time that you have magic, Merlin. No, I won't tell you what gave it away, it took months of painful snooping around to find out if I was right or not. As from yesterday, I have reason to believe that you are also a DragonLord. Am I right?"

"Arthur…"

"Before you say anything, Merlin, I ask one thing. I might have this completely wrong. I just ask that you do me the courtesy of not lying to my face, not anymore. I know, you have no secrets left to hide. I have also known for some time now, so you can rest assured that any thoughts that I had in regards to taking you to my father also disappeared months ago. You're safe, I just want to know."

All in all, Arthur was quite proud of how steady he kept his voice. Btu then he realised that his hands were trembling on top of the table, and one glance at Merlin's face showed that his servant could see it. For a long moment, Merlin didn't say anything and Arthur felt like he had made a terrible mistake. But then their eyes met and it was as if all the colour suddenly drained from Merlin's face as if he had only just realised the conversation taking place around him. One hand shot out and rested on the bedpost, yet Arthur didn't move as Merlin forced himself to take a calming breath.

"Gaius will kill me for this…I mean, not that he knows, Gaius that is…."

"Merlin, I already know that he knows, that is partly how I found out."

"Gaius told you?"

"Do you really think that he would betray you like that?" The incredulous look on Merlin's face faded and he lowered himself onto the bed. Arthur could see that Merlin's hands were shaking just as much as his were. Arthur's heart was almost pounding in his ears as he took note of Merlin's reaction.

"It's true then?" He found himself whispering. "I was right, you do have magic?"

"And I am a DragonLord."

"How long..?"

"Since Balinor…"

"No." Arthur cut through Merlin's attempt at an explanation. "I figured that part out for myself. How long have you been practising magic?"

"Forever." Arthur was expecting some sort of defence, for Merlin to claim that he had learnt so that he could save Arthur's life. Considering everything that he had witnessed so far, Arthur didn't think that was an unreasonable thing to believe. Yet he blinked at Merlin's answer, watching in silence as the warlock finally stumbled over to the table and sat down on a chair rather than Arthur's bed.

"As in..?"

"As in since before I could talk. I didn't chose this, it was something that I was born with. G-Gaius said that it is rare, that I'm…" Arthur heard the hesitation in Merlin's voice as he talked about Gaius, making it clear that Merlin didn't like revealing the physician had helped him hide for all of these years. But somehow, the prince knew the end of Merlin's sentence.

"That you're powerful."

Merlin nodded glumly, not seeming to meet Arthur's eyes but instead picked at a stray thread on his sleeve.

"I wanted to tell you. I just..."

"Thought that I wouldn't be able to handle it? I thought you knew me better than that, Merlin, I thought that you knew that I had stopped believing everything that my father said some time ago." There was no anger in Arthur's voice, and the prince finally realised what it was that he had been feeling ever since coming to the conclusion that Merlin was never going to tell him.

Disappointment.

Merlin seemed to hear it too and his head lowered. Arthur could see the way his hands tensed into balls on the table and knew that his words had upset the warlock.

"It seems you knew me about as well as I knew you then."

"No, Arthur, I… It wasn't that I didn't think you could handle it. It was that I didn't want to put you in a position between having to choose between me and your father. I just…"

"Hoped that I would never find out?"

"Sort of…" Merlin mumbled, before lifting his head and staring Arthur directly in the eye. "Arthur, I never wanted to lie to you. You are my friend, even if you don't feel the same way about me. There is more to this than even I can explain, for I won't give away secrets that aren't mine unless I have to. But know that I have only ever wanted to protect you."

"I kind of already figured that part out." Arthur muttered quietly. He could see by the look on Merlin's face that this was not how he had ever imagined this conversation to go. Either he told Arthur himself, or Arthur had only just discovered the truth and was angry. For the prince to have known for some time and even seeming to have accepted it was not something that had crossed Merlin's mind. Arthur wasn't sure whether he should be upset by that or not.

"So how long have you known about Balinor? Since it happened?"

"Since yesterday." Merlin blinked, clearly having expected Arthur to have realised that all along as well.

"How-? Oh, the wyverns? You weren't unconscious, were you?"

"I wasn't exactly conscious either, so no, I wasn't pretending if that was what you meant. I couldn't move or see, but I could still hear everything that was going on. I still heard you send them away as if they were nothing more than misbehaving pets. How do you do it?"

"Bal-my father said that there is part of me that is kin with the dragons, and because the wyvern are some sort of relation to them, the power works over them as well. They listen to me, and they can't refuse my orders."

Somehow, hearing that Merlin could give orders to something Arthur himself couldn't command just didn't seem right and the prince was hard pushed not to shudder slightly at the thought. He had known that Merlin was strong, but this conversation certainly seemed to be enlightening him to just how strong. How had he not realised that the man serving him had more power in his little finger than Arthur had ever had throughout his whole life.

"So you have magic and you can order dragons? Then answer me this, what was it about the bracelet? It's Morgana, isn't it? This isn't the first time that I've seen you two glaring at each other. Tell me what is going on."

"Not yet, Arthur." There was a gentle tone in Merlin's voice that made Arthur blink. As he stared at his servant, Merlin smiled reassuringly.

"I will, I swear. But whilst you've had months accepting this, I need time."

"Why do you need time, I was the one to find out you had lied for all this time."

"I know, and I'm sorry. But this is my life on the line here, Arthur. I've spent years acting as your fool so no one knew and so I could stay here in Camelot. Now I find out that you know, that you've accepted it. You might not realise it, but that is sort of a big deal for me. Give me a few days? Let me process everything that has just happened, then I swear that I will tell you all that you need to know."

Arthur knew he couldn't ask for anything more. Merlin had a point – Arthur had certainly reversed the roles by it being him to drop the bombshell rather than Merlin. He knew that if Merlin had lied to him for this long without Arthur knowing about it, then it would almost be too easy for him to start lying again. He just had to trust that his servant was right, that he was indeed going to tell Arthur everything.

Somehow, Arthur felt like he had to give Merlin some sort of sign that he trusted him. This was the only thing that Merlin had asked from him – ever if Arthur's mind recalled all their past conversations – and Arthur knew that he had to give it to him. After all, if he didn't start proving to Merlin that he meant what he said about trusting him, then he knew that he was never going to get anywhere with his servant.

He knew that Merlin still had things to tell him – he wanted to know what was going on between Merlin and Morgana for one thing. But unless he gave Merlin the time and the trust that he asked for, he would never get the answers. Arthur didn't think that he could figure this one out for himself, he needed his servant.

"Fine. You have three days…"

"Arthur…Sire, you can't order someone to accept changes in their life. You have to let me do this in my own time." It was that moment that made Arthur feel suddenly vulnerable. This was out of his control, he had to follow Merlin on this one. He wasn't sure how it made him feel, but he instead sagged back in his seat.

"Very well. You have as long as you need. But promise me that you will tell me what I want to know?"

"I promise, Sire." Merlin's voice was soft and sincere, and Arthur knew that he was telling the truth. He dismissed his servant with a wave of his hand – Merlin didn't need telling twice and practically leapt up. Not wanting things to stay on that note, Arthur lifted his head again.

"Oh, and Merlin?"

"Yes?"

"I still think you've been eating too many mushrooms living here with a secret like that."

"That's me, Sire. And you wouldn't have me any other way."

With a grin that made Merlin look more like himself than he had done in hours, the servant left the room. And Arthur suddenly realised that he was right. It didn't matter what secrets his friend had been hiding, he was still the same old Merlin.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you so much once again! Happy Christmas Everyone!**

"Will you tell me?"

"No."

"Will you tell me?"

"No."

"Will you-?"

"Arthur, I'm not going to tell you just because you are demanding it. You said that you would give me time."

"I have given you time, Merlin, now tell me."

"I said that I would tell you when I'm ready. But what I am going to tell you is that your father wants you."

"Merlin, you came in here half an hour ago, you mean to say he's been waiting for me ever since then?"

"Well, you wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise."

"_Mer_lin!"

The same pattern continued for over a week. Originally, both Arthur and Merlin had found that they were almost tiptoeing around each other. The secret was resting even more heavily between them now than it had done for a long time. Merlin seemed to be cheerful again, and Arthur had taken that to mean that his servant was ready to share the rest of the secrets that he had been hiding. Little did he know that putting on a cheerful face was just the way that Merlin coped with things. After all, it was how he had been hiding secrets for years without anyone realising that something was wrong.

But when Arthur went to see his father one night, everything had changed. He had been growing more and more frustrated with his servant as the days past, but knew that Merlin was going through a tough patch with Gaius. Knowing how it felt to have his father disappointed in him and knowing that the physician and his ward had that sort of bond between them, Arthur didn't feel like he could push. He had tried to offer some advice, but not knowing what the problem was, he just had to hope it blew over.

It crossed his mind that the problem could be about him.

He knew that Gaius would have told Merlin to keep his secret close to his heart and not let anyone find out. To discover that the prince had known for some time was something Arthur was sure was going to earn Merlin a scolding. But he didn't want to presume that that was the problem, and so he didn't truly know what to do. Gaius seemed to be having a friend visiting, and considering Merlin hadn't headed back to their chambers the night before, Arthur knew that his manservant had been kicked out of his own bed. Knowing that if he stayed close to Merlin, he would end up pushing him even more about Morgana, Arthur had let him go.

But unable to sleep, he had decided that he would visit his father instead. He didn't want the man to get suspicious that Arthur was up to something due to the way he had been avoiding the king lately. He was sure that Uther would be able to see the guilt on his face and would automatically know that Arthur had discovered something. The prince had never been any good at lying to his father, and he wasn't about to risk Merlin's life on it. So instead he had just been avoiding meeting with him alone.

Yet Arthur had found that he missed the company of his father. He might have been a strict man and not someone that was easy to please, but Arthur had grown up used to that. Now that the prince was maturing and showing what a strong leader he could be, his relationship with his father was stronger than it had been for years.

Of course, that just made it all the worse in Arthur's mind for lying to him, but he knew that he had to protect Merlin, no matter what the cost. If Arthur could figure out his secret, then who else would be able to realise what it was that his servant was hiding. Arthur knew that he couldn't let that happen.

"Father? Sire?" Knocking softly on the door, Arthur let himself in. He knew that his father was in there, yet the fact that there had been no answer meant that he couldn't ignore the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach. If there was one thing that he had learnt from his time serving as a knight, it was never to ignore his instincts.

Arthur wasn't sure if he had ever been as thankful for that advice as he was in that moment. On not seeing his father, he moved further into the room. Only to find the king sprawled across the floor, completely motionless.

"Father!" Arthur closed the distance between them in a heartbeat, rolling Uther onto his back and slapping his face lightly, trying to get a response from him. Nothing seemed to happen, but then Arthur found that he was looking into Uther's eyes. Yet it wasn't the steely gaze of his father looking back, but pools of jet black.

"Guards!"

Yelling, Arthur ordered them to summon Gaius before turning back to trying to rouse his father. He just hoped that Merlin would come too, he was sure that if the physician couldn't do anything, then his servant would be able to. Staying on his knees, Arthur was just grateful that his father's eyes had shut again, for he wasn't sure that he would be able to take looking into the swirling blackness without losing his own mind. After what seemed like an age, the door finally opened as Gaius came hurrying in.

Arthur leapt up, moving to meet the old man.

"I found him this way, I-I can't rouse him." Arthur barely realised that he was gripping Gaius's arm, his other hand on the physician's back as he propelled him towards the prone King. He could only watch as Gaius checked, one hand resting against Uther's neck.

"The King's alive, but his pulse is weak."

"What's wrong with him?"

"Please I must examine him. Seal off the king's quarters." There were not many times that Arthur listened to Gaius without even thinking about it, but this time, he let himself be removed from his father's side. He couldn't get in the way, not if it was the king's life potentially in danger. Running from the room, Arthur stopped when he got outside. He had just been about to call for the guards again when he saw Merlin hurrying from the opposite direction. It was obvious that he had heard the warning bells and had come to see if there was anything that he could do to help. Arthur didn't think that he would ever be able to admit what a comfort it was to see him there.

He locked eyes with his servant, knowing that desperation was spiralling within his own. Merlin's face twisted into a grimace of sympathy, but Arthur just inclined his head. He knew that his servant would know what the gesture meant.

It was permission for Merlin to do whatever it took to make sure that the king made it through this.

Arthur was giving him permission…no, he was ordering Merlin to use magic on the King of Camelot if that was what it took.

MMM

The next few hours felt like a whirlwind to Arthur. He did as Gaius asked, making sure that the king's chambers were sealed off. But then came the whole thing with Gaius' lady friend being arrested for attempting to poison and subsequently kill the king. Arthur had seen in Merlin's face what it had cost his friend to be the one to admit what he knew, knowing that it would potential ruin his relationship with Gaius forever. But the king had still been fading, and he could see in the woman's eyes that she was telling the truth when she had said that she didn't know what the cure was.

Despite knowing that Merlin was powerful, Arthur knew that even his servant couldn't pull off the impossible. He had to know what the cure was, or how to make it, if even he was going to save the king. Arthur knew that he had lashed out in frustration, but he had honestly thought that he was going to lose the man this time. Arthur had kept himself away, knowing that Gaius was still trying to treat his father.

He also knew that the physician had no intention of telling him about Uther's black eyes. As far as Gaius was aware, the prince had only seen his father unconscious and had not known that there was something else going on. But Arthur knew – between that and the woman's confession, he knew that potent magic had been used against the king and it was only magic that would be able to save him.

And so magic had.

He knew that he was expected to thank Gaius, and so he did. But he also knew that there was no way the physician would have been able to carry off what had just happened on his own. Not considering Arthur had heard the words about the manticore the woman had uttered and seen the way that his father's eyes had changed colour. Even if Gaius had found the creature and extracted the antidote from it, the prince was no fool. You couldn't just take something from a creature of magic without a fight, and that was where he knew that his servant had come in somewhere.

Not wanting to get in the way, Arthur had simply returned to his rooms once it was apparent that the king would not only live, but make a full recovery. If he was honest, Arthur knew that he was hiding. He couldn't deal with seeing Uther weak, it reminded him too painfully of the fact that, despite being king, Uther was just a man. No son wanted to see their father less than their best, and Arthur knew that he would only make a fool of himself if he stayed in the royal chamber's for no real reason. Besides, he knew that by being in his room, Merlin would turn up eventually.

As it was, Arthur had been wondering whether to send for him just to get him to hurry up. But he knew that Merlin and Gaius probably had a lot to talk about, and he didn't want to get in the way. Yet he too needed to talk to his servant. Not to push him for answers about Morgana as he had been doing for days, but to find some way of thanking him. The prince might not have been able to thank a servant, but the man could. Arthur knew it was thanks to Merlin that his father was alive, despite the fact that if their situations were reversed, Uther would have ordered Merlin's death himself. Arthur had to make sure that Merlin knew he appreciated it.

It was late by the time that Merlin came stumbling in, but judging by the grin on his face, Arthur knew that things had once again been reconciled between physician and ward. Not saying anything, he had just watched his servant bustle around the room for a moment before speaking.

"I want you to take tomorrow off." Merlin stopped almost dramatically, turning to face where Arthur was sitting. He almost seemed shocked.

"Is this because I won't tell you yet what you want to know? You're sacking me?"

"_Mer_lin, I'm giving you time off!"

"Why?"

"I think you know." Arthur finally turned to look at his servant properly, making sure that Merlin could see the gratitude that his eyes were expressing even if the words never quite made it out of his mouth. "You deserve a break after you… services to the kingdom."

"You know?"

"Not really. But I know there was more to that poison than Gaius is ever going to tell me and I know that there is no way that he would have been able to produce the cure on his own. It meant that you helped, and because no one has specifically told me, it meant that you helped in ways that I shouldn't know about. So I want you to have the day off."

"Arthur…" Merlin moved across the room until he was standing in front of the prince. "I've never sought recognition or reward for what I can do, I thought you knew that?"

"So you won't even take a day off as a thank you for saving my father's life? How about an afternoon then?"

"Well…"

"No, fine. You don't want any recognition. Tell you what, Merlin, why don't you go and muck out the stables?" There was a teasing note to Arthur's voice and a smile on his face as Merlin rolled his eyes elaborately.

"Anyone ever tell you that you are a prat?"

"Regularly. Go on, go home, I don't need you tonight. I'll see you in the morning."

"Oh no you won't, you gave me the day off!"

"_Mer_lin!" The servant was gone from the room before Arthur had even stood up, but he could hear Merlin's laughter bouncing back down the corridor towards him. Shaking his head, Arthur sat back down again, staring at the stack of papers in front of him and knowing that he was going to get none done tonight. Maybe he should stop pushing Merlin about Morgana? After all, whilst the servant was around, what was she going to do?

It wasn't as if she would be hiding anything the way Merlin was.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you again, so much! Have a wonderful New Year!**

"Merlin!"

Arthur's angry voice floated into Gaius' chambers long before the prince himself arrived. Pre-warned, Gaius had already stood up and began to move towards the door before it burst open angrily. Any hope that Merlin would have been able to sleep through the noise was lost as Arthur yelled for his servant again.

"Please, Sire, he is resting. He's had a hard time..."

"In the tavern?" Arthur was practically seething, and Gaius had to take a step backwards. He knew the young royal had had a very taxing few days, first with Gwen being banished and then sentenced to death. Of course, it didn't help that he had then lost the old sorcerer who had been running around taking the blame for everything. Gaius knew that would be enough reason for anyone to be stressed, but he was not going to let Arthur take it out on Merlin.

"No, My Lord, he's resting." For once, Gaius was telling the truth. The aging spell had exhausted Merlin, coupled with his own emotions over what he had been feeling with realising he could potentially be losing Gwen. The physician had no idea that Arthur knew more than he was letting on, Merlin had kept that quiet from his guardian, and so had instead found himself spinning the usual tale about where Merlin was. He only hoped that his ward forgave him, and making sure that he got some rest instead of dealing with an annoyed master was one way that Gaius could help make it up to the boy.

"He hasn't been well."

"I'll be the judge of that. Merlin!" Arthur had already taken a step towards his servant's door when it opened. Merlin truly did look exhausted, and for a moment, Arthur made to take a step back. But then he remembered why it was that he had stormed in here in the first place and fixed the warlock with a steely gaze. If Merlin knew what was good for him, he wold not try to go against that look. Thankfully, the warlock sighed, his head down.

"It's okay, Gaius. He'll disturb the whole castle if he carries on like that. You can come up if you want?" Arthur bit back the remark that he was going to go wherever he pleased, thank you very much, shot Gaius a scathing look and marched across the room. Brushing past Merlin, he sat himself down right in the centre of Merlin's bed. If he was right about this, then he didn't see why Merlin should get any comfort. The servant closed the door softly before turning to face his master.

"It was you, wasn't it?" Arthur knew there was no point pretending that he had come here for anything other than answers. Merlin seemed to have resigned himself for the interrogation and simply nodded.

"How did you know?"

"I told you, I recognised your eyes. Merlin, I…" Arthur just stared at his servant. He truly had no idea what he was supposed to say. In a way, he had hoped that Merlin would deny it, that he would somehow protest and it would end up as a fight. At least that way, Arthur would have been able to burn off the anger he was feeling over the whole situation. How had he come that close to losing Guinevere? It had scared him more than he thought was possible, and yet again he knew that it was thanks to Merlin that his love was safe.

"Why did you do it?"

"Why did I save my friend from being executed? Come on, Arthur, give me some credit. I came to you and said we had to get her out of the dungeons. You knew that you couldn't, so I had to take matters into my own hands."

"I led you to the pyre. Promising that I would keep your secret sort of meant that I hoped that would never happen."

"You didn't know it was me."

"Didn't I?"

"So why did you go along with it?"

"I hoped you had a plan." Arthur ran a hand over his face as he realised what he was admitting. He had gone along with the whole thing, including pretending to not realise that his manservant just happened to have disappeared whilst a sorcerer with Merlin's eyes was running around the place.

"I did, it worked, didn't it?"

"You were making that whole thing up as you went along."

"Maybe." Merlin suddenly sounded so tired that Arthur found himself automatically moving over to make space on the bed, regardless of his previous thoughts. Merlin shot him a small smile, sitting down and running a hand over his face.

"What's wrong?"

"That spell is exhausting. For that length of time, under those conditions… It took it out of me more than I thought."

"So the great warlock does have a limit then?" Arthur had meant it to sound flippant, but it almost came out as sounding more relieved. It had unnerved him to think that there was nothing that Merlin could not do. Now he knew that even the warlock had limitations somehow made the whole thing a lot more manageable – it made Merlin human again. The servant offered him a small smile, but it was one lined with exhaustion. That look made Arthur realise quite how much the man had been prepared to give up to keep Gwen safe.

"Why didn't you tell me it was you? Why did you just leave me to guess, or rather, smash a pot over my head?"

"That was revenge for making me clean it the other day." Merlin muttered, just a hint of his old smirk back in place and causing Arthur to give his shoulder a shove.

"If you had known it was me, what would you have done?"

"I don't know. Not just led you out to the pyre like that."

"Yet you admit that it was the only thing that saved Gwen's life?"

"I would have thought of something." Arthur could hear his heart hammering hard in his chest and knew that the lie was reflected on his face. He had had no idea what he could do to get Gwen safe, especially not considering the watch that his father had placed him under. He had been hoping that someone, even Merlin, would do something in order to get her out, but he hadn't truly expected it to be in the manner that Merlin had done so.

"Just admit that I was her only chance."

"Never."

"You… Anyway, it doesn't matter, it doesn't answer your original question. Whether you believe it or not, my actions were the only thing that saved Gwen at the time. If you had known it was me, you've just admitted yourself that you wouldn't have been able to almost casually led me to the pyre."

"So?"

"So where would that have got us? If you had known without a doubt that I was the sorcerer, you would have had to choose between us. I didn't tell you about my magic because I didn't want you to have to choose between me and your father. Do you really think that I would have put you in a position where you would have had to choose between me and the woman you love?"

"I…" Arthur didn't know what to say. He couldn't tell Merlin that he wouldn't have let him die, for if it meant saving Gwen, he wasn't sure what he would have done. But Gwen had already been convicted, could he have put Merlin through the same thing?

"You see where I am going with this? If you had hesitated, then both Gwen and I would have been killed and who would have cleared up after you then?"

"Merlin…"

"I would never force a decision on you that you might regret for the rest of your life, Arthur. I'm supposed to be protecting you, not putting you through things like that." Yet again, Arthur found himself lost for words. Even if he had made a decision, if he had been able to choose between Merlin and Gwen, would he have ever been able to live with himself? Destiny or not, he knew that Gwen would be just as furious with him as Merlin would have been if they had been the one to live. Merlin hadn't done this to help Arthur, he had done it to save a friend. But in doing so, had risked absolutely everything in order to make sure that whatever the result, Arthur felt no blame.

The prince wasn't sure he had ever felt so humbled as he did in that moment.

"Merlin, I… Why would you do that?"

"If you don't know the answer to that, then you are just as much of an idiot as I had always believed." Merlin muttered, grinning at his master even as he attempted to cover up a yawn. Arthur wasn't done just yet though.

"Do you know what planted the idea into my father's head that Gwen had enchanted me in the first place?" Merlin's whole face clouded over, looking thunderous. Arthur didn't need him to verbally answer to know that Merlin didn't only know who it was, he was angry that he hadn't been able to do anything to stop it.

"I'm sorry, Arthur, I should have…"

"I'm not asking you to change everything that happens in Camelot to suit us, Merlin. I'm asking you if you know how it was that we were found out in the clearing, and then how my father went from finding the whole thing an annoying joke to having Guinevere arrested for sorcery."

"I…"

"It was Morgana, wasn't it?" As soon as Arthur said the words out loud, he knew that he was right. Judging by the way that Merlin seemed to slump, he knew that his servant wasn't going to deny it either. Arthur had spent months trying to get Merlin to tell him the truth about what was going on with the King's Ward. If there was nothing to tell, then why would Merlin hesitate?

"But why? Gwen is her dearest friend, they've been together for years!"

"She's not who she was, Arthur." Merlin's voice was heavy, and Arthur couldn't help but think that he sounded just as old as the man he had been disguised as. "Ever since we found her again… It's all been a lie. She's working with Morgause."

"But…" Arthur ran a hand through his hair. If he hadn't already been suspecting something of the truth, he would have flat out denied that this was possible. This was Morgana they were talking about, the girl who had done anything in her power to save him before. Yet it was also the same girl that fought with the king on every chance that she had. "It's to do with my father, isn't it?"

"I think she wants him dead."

"But what would that gain her? I'd just become King, she would lose everything…"

"She has a claim to the throne, Arthur."

"No, she…"

"She does. She is your sister."

A deadly silence fell across the room as Arthur found himself leaping to his feet. His hand closed around his empty belt before he realised that he had never picked up his sword. For a long moment, he could only stare at Merlin, eyes flashing in anger. But his servant looked steadily back at him, just waiting for Arthur to accept what he had just said.

"You're lying."

"You know that I am not, that I would not lie to you. She sees Gwen as a threat to the kingdom…"

"_What?!"_

"She knows that unless she does something, Gwen has more of a chance of wearing the crown than she ever does."

"But why would she even want that? She has everything here, Father hasn't even attempted to marry her off as he would have done with anyone else. Hell, he's even tried to marry me off more than her. Her position wouldn't have changed when I became King…"

"Exactly. She wants more, Arthur. Morgause has filled her head with all these notions of power. Being the King's ward is no longer enough for Morgana, she wants to be Queen."

"Find me Morgause and I'll kill her. Why would Morgana listen to her?"

"They are family as well." This time, anger wasn't even possible in the prince. He found himself sagging back against the wall, face going pale as he struggled to take in what he was being told. He knew that something had been going on with Morgana, the looks that had been flying between her and Merlin had clued him up enough as to that. But to find out this? That she was literally his sister, and that she too shared blood with Morgause. Not only that, but that she wanted their father dead and her oldest friend – not to mention the love of Arthur's life – gone? How was this the same girl that he had once sparred against?

"Arthur? Arthur, can you hear me?" Shaking his head to stop the ringing in his ears, Arthur forced himself to take a few deep breaths. He knew that if he didn't regain control, he would end up passing out. But still, he couldn't stop his stomach from churning unpleasantly.

"I'm such a fool."

"No, Arthur. No, you're not. She's been lying to everyone, she has them all fooled…"

"Not you."

"Well… I kind of followed her one night, overheard everything and had Morgause try and kill me. Had to call the Great Dragon for a favour to get out of that one alive." The casual way that Merlin spoke betrayed what his voice would not say. He genuinely had almost been killed.

"Does she know about your magic?"

"No. And I plan to keep it that way. You might have vowed not to go to Uther, but your sister…"

"Don't call her that! She is not my sister."

"But…"

"I don't care about blood. Siblings do not try and kill each other." There was such determination in Arthur's voice that Merlin knew better than to try and argue against it. The prince realised that there was a hand resting on his arm, encouraging him to come back over to the bed and sit down again. Arthur did so, only realising then that his hand seemed to be shaking.

"Merlin…"

"It's okay, Arthur, I know. It's a lot to take in. I'm sorry I had to be the one to tell you this. She genuinely sees Gwen as a threat, that is why she had to make sure that she broke your heart and removed the opposition." Despite everything, Arthur found that he was beginning to smile. When Merlin prompted as to why, the prince looked at him.

"If Gwen is a threat, it means that I have a chance of marrying her one day." That thought alone calmed Arthur down far more than any reassurance would have done and he forced himself to take another deep breath. He had dealt with finding out that his trusted manservant as a sorcerer, surely he could deal with finding out that Morgana was actually his sister and wanted him dead?

The pair of them sat in silence for a long moment. Arthur didn't know what there was to say, and Merlin seemed to understand that. It didn't escape the prince's notice that ever since he had discovered Merlin's secret that the warlock didn't seem to prattle on nearly as much. Was that how Merlin had been hiding for all this time, by making sure that the subject was well and truly changed? When it became clear that Merlin was struggling to keep his eyes open, Arthur stood up. Merlin had saved Gwen, almost costing him his own life. The very least his master could do was make sure that he got some rest.

"Merlin? Thank you for telling me about Morgana." Arthur moved over to the door as he spoke, pausing in the doorframe to address his servant. Merlin was navigating his way into a lying down position, but waved his hand in Arthur's direction.

"That's not all."

"_What?!"_

"I'll tell you the rest when I've slept, you need to process that first." Arthur made to argue, to demand that Merlin told him absolutely everything right this instance despite not being sure if he could take anything more. But Merlin's eyes flashed and the door swung shut, Arthur on the other side. The prince slammed his weight against it, but it didn't budge.

"Don't think you've got out of this, Merlin!"

"Really, Sire, it was only the tavern." Arthur jumped, spinning in surprise. He had forgotten that Gaius was there, and that he believed Arthur had arrived to berate his servant. Well, he had, just not for the reasons that Gaius thought.

"For the last time. Later on, Merlin, you are explaining everything!" Despite knowing that he was talking about something different to Gaius, Arthur simply nodded at the old man and left. He might have felt the physician's accusing stare on his back, but if there was one thing he had learnt, it was that it wasn't up to him to reveal other people's secrets. Merlin had to be the one to tell his mentor that Arthur knew, for the prince would not. And if that meant Arthur pretended to yell at him for slacking off despite knowing the truth, then that was just Merlin's punishment for not being honest with those around him.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you so much for the support once again. Happy New Year everyone, hope you like this chapter.**

Arthur hurried through the castle as fast as he could without drawing untoward attention towards himself. He had to find Merlin, there had to be something that the sorcerer could do in order to stop this madness. It was magic of some sort, it had to be. There was no way that his father would simply decide to enter the tournament, he hadn't done so in years. He had always claimed that it was a time for Arthur to show his military leadership, that it was up to the heir to take the trophy so the people knew that there future was resting with a secure and strong leader.

Until now, that was.

After everything Arthur had just found out about Morgana, he knew that she was somehow behind it. It had taken a few days before Merlin had finally admitted that she also had magic, but just as he had done with his servant, Arthur had come to his own conclusions by then. He knew that Morgana had suffered from nightmares for years, but he also knew they had been steadily getting worse. Morgause also had magic, and she had been the one to take Morgana from Camelot after Merlin had poisoned her (it had taken a while for the servant to recount that story and even longer for Arthur to stop shaking enough for Merlin to be able to continue.) It made sense, especially how no one had been able to find Morgana when they left the Castle of Fyrien. They must have taken him for such a fool, going back to rescue the person that had helped lure him there in the first place.

It had been one thing to accept Merlin considering he had sworn that he only ever used his magic to keep Arthur safe, and the prince himself had come to that conclusion on his own. But for Morgana, the girl he had grown up with and the woman he had defied his father alongside, to also have it and actually be using it in the way they had both – not just him – been taught to fear had left Arthur angrier than he had ever thought possible. For days, he had stewed, wanting her blood, wanting to tell the King… But whilst Merlin hadn't stopped him from going to his father, he had told him that he wouldn't allow Arthur to kill her. Yet, at least, Merlin claimed that if the prince still felt like that, or if she did more to harm them, once he had time to truly accept what was going on, then it would be different.

Even on this, against someone who had been making his life hell, Merlin refused to let Arthur act rashly, claiming that he would regret it if he killed Morgana in cold blood. He had to be thinking clearly and know the consequences of his actions – not in regards to the law, but as to the emotional impact they would have on him. Regardless of how much he hated her for betraying them like this right now, Arthur knew that the fiery anger was already beginning to be replaced by grief. He was mourning the sister he now could never have, and that was before he had even picked up a sword.

Merlin had been right about that too.

Only now, Arthur wasn't sure what to do. His father had never shown any sign of wanting to compete, that was Arthur's job now. So why was it that he had suddenly walked out into that arena? The people had gone wild, but Arthur had found his heart had been in his mouth. Did the man not realise that competitors had _died_ in this tournament, that he was risking everything on his pride? Uther had always put being a King before anything, even before being a father. Arthur couldn't understand what had changed.

"Merlin!" Finally catching sight of the man just as he was about to enter Gaius' chambers, Arthur beckoned him over. Merlin frowned quizzically, but Arthur shook his head. This was not something that he was going to yell down the corridor for this was not a normal chore he had to request of his servant. Merlin walked over, but as soon as he was within reach, Arthur had taken hold of his arm and pushed him into a nearby room. It was empty, and after checking that no one had seen them, Arthur shut the door. He stood in front of it, arms folded and looking every inch a prince if it wasn't for the way that his heart was pounding about what he was about to ask.

"You have to stop him, you have to make him change his mind. This isn't like him, it has to be magic, she has to have done something…"

"She has." Merlin's voice was calm, cutting through Arthur even as the prince began to start pacing. Arthur instantly froze, facing his servant even as anger filtered into his expression.

"And you didn't think to tell me, didn't think to do something about it?"

"There is nothing that can be done, Arthur, not by me."

"She's bewitched him to compete, she knows that he will die!"

"Arthur, this isn't magic." Merlin held his gaze steadily, not flinching even as Arthur let out a cry of frustration. It was that unwavering gaze that made him calm down, knowing that if he was going to have Merlin's help, he had to actually listen to what his servant was telling him.

"What do you mean, this isn't magic?"

"Come on, Sire, I think you already know the answer. I think you've known all along, and if you hadn't had your heart hardened against Morgana, you wouldn't even think anything of it…"

"Stop talking in riddles, Merlin." There was a clear warning in Arthur's voice, and his tone made it all the more apparent that he was in no mood to be led on a chase to find the answers to what was going on. He wanted to know, and he wanted to know now. It could potentially be his father's life on the line here.

"Fine. Do you remember years ago with that plague and Gwen was sentenced to death?" Arthur scowled, that giving his servant enough of an answer. After the maid's recent brush with execution, Merlin must have known bringing that up would sting.

"You wouldn't have originally gone against your father, would you? But Morgana persuaded you to. I have no idea how she did it, but I'm guessing that it wasn't magic then, she didn't even know she had it. She convinced you because she knew precisely what to say in order to mean you were putty in her hands."

"What are you saying, _Mer_lin?"

"Arthur, this isn't magic. Your father is now competing because Morgana knows him as well as she knew you back then. She knows precisely what to say in order to goad him, to plant the idea in his head and make it so that he doesn't want to back down. You know how proud your father is, and how stubborn. He wouldn't have anyone say that he wasn't strong enough to compete without having to prove them wrong, even if that person is his own ward."

Arthur sighed, blowing out a long breath even as he pointedly ignored the fact that his servant had just called the King of Camelot stubborn. He wasn't sure if that fell under the category of treason or not, but considering Merlin had magic and yet was still living here, a few insults had to be the least of his worries. In a way, Arthur had known all along why his father was competing, he just hadn't wanted to admit it. To acknowledge that he had been goaded into it, even if it might result in his death, was not something Arthur had wanted to acknowledge. It was easier if he had believed that it was magic, he simply got Merlin to break the spell and that would be that. But he knew from experience, not to mention how he was himself, that telling a Pendragon that they couldn't do something simply fuelled their determination to do just that. Morgana had known that, and once again had managed to play them.

"So what do I do?" Arthur had gone from a prince demanding that his manservant solved the problems, to a young man looking to his friend for a way of saving his father from his own determination. Merlin shrugged, looking uneasy as he picked at a piece of thread on his sleeve.

"Will you be able to convince him to withdraw?"

"About as successfully as you've convinced me to withdraw over these last few years." Merlin nodded, looking as if he knew that would have been the answer. It suddenly dawned on Arthur that Morgana wasn't the only one who could persuade him to do something in just a few words. After all, there was a sorcerer standing in front of him, and not only was Arthur not doing anything about it, he was asking for the man's help. Since when had he come to rely on Merlin quite that much?

"Then… if he gets to face you, you have to let him win."

"_If _he gets to face me? Merlin, he could be killed later this afternoon!"

"Do you really have that little belief in your father, in what he can do? He was once a warrior just as you are now, Arthur, I'm sure he can hold his own for a few rounds." There was a smile grin on Merlin's face and Arthur realised that it was his servant's way of telling him to calm down, to regain control of the situation and think it through. At least, that was what Arthur had always interpreted that expression to mean, it could have just been Merlin telling him to shut up.

"But the competitors… if any of them hold a grudge, Merlin…"

"Then they would be just as likely to come after you, the way they have done for years. And just like I have done for years, I'll be there protecting you."

"No. Not this time." Arthur ran a hand through his hair, realising that he knew what he had to ask of his servant. He knew in his heart that he had accepted magic; he had sought Merlin out to thank him more than once. But never had he actually asked his servant to use it, never had he actively encouraged Merlin to break the law. Technically, he knew the man's very existence broke the law, but this was different. This time, Arthur was giving an order that changed everything. Not only did he think it was an order Merlin might actually follow, it was an order that, if someone had told him a year ago he would be giving, he would have either laughed or had them executed.

He was going to order his servant to use magic.

"Arthur?" Some of his thoughts must have shown on his face as Merlin suddenly stepped forward, his brow furrowed as he studied his master. "What is it? What have you thought of?"

"I need you to swear something to me." There was a day where Merlin had automatically promised to do anything Arthur asked when he used that tone of voice, knowing the future king was being deadly serious. But since Arthur had discovered his magic, that promise had not slipped so easily from his lips. It was as if Merlin was aware of the consequences of what Arthur could ask him to do, something that had never been a problem before. Arthur's reaction to this was the reason why – he was already blaming magic simply because he knew it was there in Morgana's case rather than taking a step back and realising how she had tricked Uther into competing. Merlin knew Arthur would settle, this was all still new to him. But he would not make a vow until he knew what it was that his master wanted from him.

"What?"

"Promise me."

"Promise you what?" Arthur sighed, realising that Merlin would agree to nothing until he knew what he was agreeing too. It was moments like this that made Arthur believe that perhaps his servant did have a shred of common sense when it came to actually staying alive then.

"I need you to swear to me that you won't let anything happen to my father." Merlin's face fell and he looked almost stricken. Arthur didn't fail to notice the way his eyes darted between the prince and the door.

"Is that promise so hard to make? You would want him dead?"

"No!" Merlin seemed to hear the fury in Arthur's voice, quickly holding up his hands to placate the prince. "But…"

"But?"

"What if he does make it to fight you? What if it is between you and him?"

"Then you protect the king, Merlin." Arthur said firmly, his eyes blazing with the same certainty. There were times where he was a prince and a knight before he was a son: protecting the king was his duty, no matter how he had to go about it.

"You're my destiny!"

"And he is your king!"

"No, Arthur, you are." Arthur blinked, his argument dying away on his lips. Merlin had told him about their destiny, about what the dragon had said (another story that had taken a while for Arthur to calm down from!), he knew why it was that Merlin had saved his life just days after Arthur had had him thrown in the dungeons. It made Arthur shiver to hear Merlin say it so simply, knowing that there was no deception or trickery in the warlock's words. It was almost ironic how the person that had been lying to him since the day they met was now the person Arthur relied on for the truth.

"Merlin, he is my father." Arthur knew that, by complete accident, he had the warlock on that one. Merlin might not have wanted to save the king, but he couldn't let his friend's father die. They both knew that Arthur would not react well to that, especially if he had believed Merlin could have done something.

"Tell you what, if he makes it past his fight with you, then I'll protect him." The reluctance was barely even obvious in Merlin's voice, yet Arthur knew it was asking a lot of the man. His father would have him executed if he got so much of a hint at what was being hidden from him. Yet not only had Merlin saved the man's life more than once, he was now being put on the spot, asked to do it again rather than just reacting. He was being asked by the one person that he couldn't say no to, though their master/servant status had nothing to do with it.

"Thank you." Arthur said softly, before groaning as he realised the implications of what Merlin was saying. He would risk his life to save the king only once Arthur had shown he could risk his pride by throwing the fight. There was no other way that Uther would be the one continuing and not his son.

"This is going to be a long tournament, isn't it?"

"Yes." Merlin said simply, his eyes reflecting the truth. "So if you will excuse me, Sire, I have to help Gaius prepare."

Arthur nodded, stepping to the side to let Merlin through. Just as his servant pulled open the door, however, the prince spoke again.

"I mean it, Merlin, thank you."

"It's not over yet." Merlin warned grimly before stepping out and disappearing from sight. Arthur sighed. He knew that Merlin didn't just mean the tournament; he meant everything that was happening with Morgana. Arthur knew that not only was Merlin right, but that there was nothing he could actually do about it right now.

Instead, he just had to get his father through the next few days, preferably keeping the man alive so that Merlin didn't have to be put in the position of sticking to his promise. If he was honest, Arthur wasn't yet sure whether Uther was going to make it past their round or not – he hadn't yet decided what was more honourable: to deliberately lose and so let the king advance, or make sure that it was a fair fight where they both fought to their capabilities?

Running a hand through his hair, Arthur also left the small room. He had a training ground to get to.


	11. Chapter 11

**Well, only one more chapter to go after this as we are near to the end of the series. Thank you once again for all of the support!**

Arthur woke with a groan, his whole leg feeling like it was on fire and his body aching as if he had been running for days. His head felt thick and heavy, but a sense of clarity immediately returned as he forced himself into an upright position, looking around. Merlin and Gwaine were dozing, yet it was the absence of the weight by his side that had him jolting in alarm. The cup was gone!

"Where is it?!" Arthur's demand signalled the fact he was awake before either of his companions had noticed. Gwaine just seemed to jerk slightly, his eyes fluttering open before falling on the now searching prince. Merlin sat slowly up, an expression of guilt in his eyes.

"Arthur…"

"Why haven't you got it? How could you have let them take it?"

"You were injured…unconscious… I had to do something." Arthur knew that Merlin had tried to heal him with magic, the way his eyes were shifting were a sign enough that he was worried he had done something Arthur wouldn't like. But the prince honestly didn't care what Merlin had done whilst he had been out, apart from the fact the Cup of Life was missing. Scrambling upright, the royal couldn't stop himself from giving a yell of pain, his hand clutching at his leg as he tried to take his own weight. Merlin was up like a shot, slipping one of Arthur's arms around his shoulder and helping to support the man. Arthur found his hand fisting in Merlin's shirt.

"Where is it?"

"Cendred's men have it, there was nothing I could do."

"Course not, he's just one chap against an army. Relax, would you? We'll get your precious cup back." Gwaine had finally stood up, easing Arthur away from Merlin and resting him against a tree. It forced Arthur to break his grip on Merlin's shirt and he fell back, panting. He was never going to be able to go after the cup like this, he could barely even stand.

"It's not…"

"Arthur, you need to eat. Why don't you just sit down there? Gwaine, do you think you can see if you can find anything edible?"

"Not sure it will be good enough for his highness." It was only Merlin's hand back on his shoulder that stopped Arthur from saying anything, but Gwaine still shrugged in a good natured manner and walked off. By the look on Merlin's face, that was not the first time the servant had been forced to get rid of the other man for a few moments.

"What?"

"Your leg might be becoming infected. I tried, Arthur, I really did, but healing magic…" Despite himself, Arthur still found that he was glancing around, hoping that Gwaine wasn't in ear shot. Merlin didn't even seem to notice how on guard his master was, but sat down on the floor next to him. Arthur ignored the comments about his leg, deciding that came second to getting the cup back in their possession.

"Cendred's men, you say? You know that he won't be working alone. I bet that Morgause is involved."

"Morgause?" Merlin looked slightly alarmed, and Arthur found that he was making some move to comfort his friend before he caught himself and fell still.

"She was there at Fyrien, they must be working together."

"Yes, yes of course…" Merlin was distracted, his eyes now darting all over the place as he ran a hand through his hair. After everything that Arthur had been told about Morgana and how she was now working with the sorceress, he wasn't sure why Merlin was looking so startled.

"What is it?"

"It's just…" Merlin didn't seem to want to say what it was that he clearly needed to. Arthur found that he had become rather good at seeing the tell-tale signs that indicated Merlin was either uncomfortable about having to talk about this or he was about to lie. Arthur raised an eyebrow expectantly and Merlin visibly took a breath, knowing he had no choice.

"I'm not sure how much help I'm going to be."

"Excuse me?" Arthur was sure he must have misheard what Merlin had just said. A few months ago, then he would have been the one saying it, but now? After everything?"

"The last time I went directly up against Morgause, she left me chained in a forest for the serkets to finish off. It was only thanks to Kilgharrah -,"

"Who?"

"-The great dragon, that I was able to escape. She enchanted the chains, Arthur, I couldn't get out. I wasn't strong enough."

"Merlin…"

"Don't you understand? If she knows that I have magic, if I'm still not strong enough, she'll destroy me! And then she'll destroy Camelot and it would have all been for nothing."

"Merlin!" Arthur's sharp voice cut through the air like a knife and he gripped onto his servant's upper arms, giving Merlin the tiniest of shakes to force the man to focus himself. He could see Merlin getting carried away, thinking up possibilities of what would happen if he were to go against Morgause and lose. In a way, Arthur knew where he was coming from. He could barely breathe to think about what would happen if they didn't get back into Camelot and claim her back. It was his duty as both the Crown Prince and the First Knight to defend his kingdom or die trying. In some weird way that Arthur hadn't yet fully understood, he knew that Merlin felt the same way. He had been told it was his destiny to protect Arthur, and the servant would be fully aware of what Arthur was planning to do.

Luckily, Arthur's shake was enough for Merlin to snap his mouth shut and offer a small smile in apology.

"Sorry. I just… Since you found out, I didn't think that there would be anything that could stop us, it's not like I have to hide behind a tree to protect your back." Arthur let it slide this time, knowing that him protesting he could protect himself was what Merlin wanted him to say. If that slipped into their usual argument, the warlock would have just gotten away with not having to express his insecurities. Arthur had come to realise it wasn't lying as such that Merlin was so good at, it was changing the subject.

"So?" Arthur prompted, realising that Merlin wasn't going to say anything else. The younger man flushed, his head down as he studied his hands as if they were the most fascinating thing he could find right now.

"I thought that we would be unstoppable. But going up against Morgause… Arthur, she nearly killed me last time."

"She nearly killed me the last time we met as well, yet you stopped her."

"But what if I can't do it again?"

"Who said I was letting you go up against her in the first place?" Arthur demanded, a slightly haughty note to his voice as he rested his hand against the tree. Very slowly, he began to pull himself up it, judging how much weight he could put on his leg without it giving away.

"But…I…"

"You may have magic, Merlin, but I'm still the one in command here, I'm still the one that makes the plan. We go after the cup, not her."

"It will be guarded."

"Is that a problem for you?" Merlin grinned and Arthur knew that his point had been made. But first, they had to get back to Camelot, they had to find who else was alive. For if the cup had reached there before they did, and the ritual had been complete, then Arthur knew they wouldn't hesitate in striking at the kingdom. They couldn't afford to – immortal or not, the soldiers would have a fight on their hands to take the Citadel. Cendred at least would understand how it worked, he needed people alive for it to still be a kingdom or his victory would be in vain. They would strike whilst Camelot was unprepared. Arthur gritted his teeth as he thought about it. His father would assume he had the cup, Arthur had never failed them before. The only person who wouldn't be surprised was Morgana.

"We have to go."

"Arthur?"

"What's to stop her from putting a knife in my father's back when he is not looking? The knights are loyal, but with no one to follow…" Merlin paled and leapt up after his master. It didn't escape Arthur's notice that his servant didn't need to ask which "she" was being spoken about this time. Arthur's eyes burned with the sting of betrayal every time he thought about his sister. He had to hope that they had somehow been mistaken, that when it came down to it, Morgana would remember where her home had been for all of these years and that people there loved her. It was the only thing Arthur was clinging to right now. Despite his fury at her, and an emotion so strong he thought it might have even been hatred, he still didn't want to lose her.

"Arthur, wait, one thing." Merlin held out a hand to stop him and Arthur paused, still balancing off the tree.

"You know what I can do."

"I thought we had already established that point…"

"Arthur, despite you having kept my secret for all of these months, magic is still outlawed in Camelot. No, don't interrupt, let me speak. You know that I have been doing things behind the scenes, both before and after you found out. This would be different. You would know that I was in there, using magic to defend not only myself, but you and the whole kingdom. Are you alright with that?"

Arthur froze, realising what Merlin was asking of him. Up until now, it had just been about protecting Merlin's secret and finding out what was truly going on in his kingdom. But now, he would be expressively giving Merlin permission to use magic, with the risk of other people finding out. He knew what Merlin was asking of him – if others were to find out, would the prince still stand by the warlock's side and protect him, or would he let his father's judgement sway over his own opinion and condemn him just to be seen upholding the law?

Arthur opened his mouth, preparing to say something despite the fact that he had no idea what words were about to spring from his mouth. But then he closed it again, thinking hard. He knew that, despite Merlin's normal disobedience, if Arthur didn't grant permission here, the warlock wouldn't use magic. He wouldn't risk Arthur thinking that he was up to something else with it, despite everything they had already been through together. But if Merlin didn't use magic, then Camelot would fall. If there was no Camelot, then there was no law opposing magic to uphold. Arthur knew his choice fell between breaking the law, and watching the law come tumbling down around him and letting complete and utter chaos reign instead.

"Use it, Merlin."

"What's Merlin using?" The look of gratitude and relief on Merlin's face quickly morphed into concern as Gwaine returned, stepping out from behind the trees and throwing down an armful of wood. He glanced between master and servant even as Merlin's eyebrows raised in amusement.

"Gwaine?"

"Yeah?"

"How is firewood edible?" Gwaine glanced between the wood and Merlin and back again before throwing a glance over to Arthur. He shrugged in a non-committal manner and sat down on the ground, stretching himself out as he did so.

"That's my contribution to dinner. Someone else can hunt."

"Arthur can't move anywhere on that leg." Merlin said swiftly, giving Arthur a pointed look as he did so. He wasn't so much as informing Gwaine of the situation as giving Arthur an express command to stay where he was.

"Looks like it is you then, mate." Gwaine reached over, punching Merlin's arm lightly. Arthur found that he was staring at Merlin intently.

"Could you?"

"Never tried it."

"Now seems a good time as any…"

"Merlin's never tried hunting?" Gwaine looked disbelieving from one to the other, shifting slightly when he realised that the looks passing between them went deeper than the usual banter. Something else was happening here, and the rogue wasn't sure whether he had been sent for food simply to get him away from the pair.

"Not in this way," Merlin muttered, and Gwaine heard Arthur hiss.

"Merlin…"

"No, Arthur. Why shouldn't he know? We're all in this together, and Gwaine is my friend. He isn't a citizen of Camelot, he's not bound by their laws."

"What are you two talking about?"

"Merlin, I forbid you to say another word."

"You know that I have never listened to you, Sire."

"Merlin!"

"Gwaine… I have magic."

"That's nice. What are you two bickering abou…oh. That's what you're arguing about?" Gwaine slowly sat up, running a hand through his hair as he continued to let his eyes switch between the two of them.

"That's nice? That's all you can say?" Arthur sounded incredulous, but a smile was beginning to stretch over Merlin's face. Gwaine shrugged.

"What do you want me to do? Have a heart to heart conversation about secrets and how I'm his friend and he should have told me everything despite the fact that I'm keeping my own secrets? How I would never ever see him again, despite the fact that is becoming a possibility considering you've gone and lost your kingdom?" Gwaine sounded so genuinely confused as to Arthur's reaction that Merlin couldn't help but burst out laughing. He had spent so long in hiding, so long worrying about what Arthur was going to do when he found out that he had forgotten that not everyone shared the Pendragon's views on magic. Lancelot had accepted him without a second thought, and Gwaine was more relaxed than that. He had probably come across it several times in his travels.

He didn't think it was a big deal.

Merlin let out a rush of air, still laughing, as he fell over backwards, one arm coming up to cover his eyes. His mother, Gaius, just being in Camelot… They had all forced him to put up barriers that he had never had as a child, keeping himself guarded and shut away from everyone he cared about. But Gwaine was right. Even friends kept some secrets from each other, there had to be some private thoughts. Arthur had accepted him, but Merlin knew that it had hurt the prince he had lied about something so big. Then again, he was pretty sure Arthur lied to him all the time about he was truly feeling about certain issues, especially those regarding his father and Gwen. If Arthur could lie, why couldn't he?

"So this is what you two have been talking about and you didn't want me to hear?"

"Not exactly."

"Yes." Both Arthur and Merlin spoke at the same time and Gwaine rolled his eyes as they glared at each other.

"Why do I get the feeling that this is a long story that we don't have the time for right now?"

"Because that is precisely what it is."

"Right, then here is what we do. Merlin sees if he can hunt with magic, we eat, sleep for an hour and then head towards Camelot."

"You're banished if you recall, Gwaine."

"Oh la di da, that's just a detail." The look on Arthur's face made Gwaine's response worth it was Merlin propped himself up on his elbows, finally back in control of himself.

"He's right, Arthur, I don't think we need to worry about that right now."

"Just find us something to eat would you, Merlin?" Arthur's tone was grumpy and annoyed, but Gwaine once again watched as Merlin simply shrugged it off. The prince hissed in pain as he climbed to his feet and stumbled a few paces away, but it was enough to give the remaining two a small amount of privacy.

"How long has the princess over there known for?"

"To be honest, I'm not sure." Merlin muttered, his eyes fixed on Arthur's back even as he shook out his hands in preparation to use magic. "He found out and then didn't tell me straight away. He's taken it better than I thought he would have. So have you. Thank you, Gwaine, did you really-?"

"Like I said, it's no big deal. I have a sword, you have magic. What more is there to it?" Merlin smiled, and it was the complete opposite to his hysterical laugh just previously. It was a genuine one, one full of warmth and relief, and Gwaine found that it was impossible for him not to smile back. Leaning over, he touched his fist to Merlin's shoulder.

"I'm glad I know now though. It's a pretty defining thing about you and now I know never to play at dice with you." The man stood up, reaching down his hand in assistance to Merlin. The warlock grabbed hold and let himself be pulled to his feet but then looked back to where Arthur was standing.

"I don't know what he will do if all our fears about what is befalling Camelot as we speak are true."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Now, food." Gwaine took a step forward, only to end up falling with a yelp. As Arthur turned to face them, his face lined with pain, Merlin's smile slipped in concern. But then he glanced down at what Gwaine had stumbled on and began to laugh again.

"It seems that I don't need magic to hunt, Gwaine's just found the only rabbit hole around. Come on, let's see if there is anything down there."

As Gwaine twisted into a kneeling position, Merlin dropped down next to him. But his eyes never left Arthur's. Very slowly, the prince nodded and Merlin grinned even as he dipped his own head in acknowledgement. Despite Arthur having told him not to tell Gwaine, the royal was relieved that he knew. This was going to be dangerous enough as it was without having to keep more secrets.

Gwaine began telling a tale about catching a rabbit, but Merlin found he was only half paying attention. Instead, he watched as a great weight seemed to lift from Arthur's shoulders. Merlin's magic had still been something of a massive secret, despite the fact that Arthur knew. There had been no one else for either the prince or Merlin to talk about it with apart from each other, and there were only so many times they could check for guards before having a whispered debate.

Now, however, it was no longer such a secret. Arthur had discovered Merlin's secret and had taken it upon himself to make sure it stayed hidden. But now that Gwaine knew, it wasn't Merlin's secret, nor was it Arthur's. Out here, right now, they could talk about it openly despite the fact they were not alone.

Merlin knew that now was when he truly began to see how Arthur felt about magic.

He just hoped they didn't return to Camelot for Morgana to undo all of the hard work Merlin had been doing in getting the young royal to change his views.


	12. Chapter 12

**Well, here we are, folks, the end of series 3 and therefore the end of this story. Not bad going considering this started off as a one-shot. Hope that you have all enjoyed, and that you like the final chapter. Until next time then!**

"I'll need someone with me that knows the castle." Arthur frowned as Lancelot asked for help, wondering if he was imagining the look in the man's eyes.

"I'll go."

Merlin's quick response told him that he was not seeing things that were not there. The two of them were planning something, Arthur was sure of that. If Lancelot was prepared to take Merlin with him, someone that the rest of the men just saw as a clumsy servant, it meant only one thing.

He knew.

Trying to ignore the stab of hurt, Arthur nodded. Gwaine glanced between the three of them before rolling his eyes. It seemed that he too had realised that he was not the only new knight to know the warlock's secret. Unlike Arthur, he didn't seem to care, but instead stepped forward. He clapped Merlin on the back and muttered something in an undertone. Considering the way Merlin's eyes widened and he glanced around guiltily before nodding, Arthur knew that whatever the whisper had been, it had been about magic. Gwaine chuckled and winked before casually strolling off.

Arthur felt something that almost resembled jealousy shoot through him. Gwaine didn't have to worry about keeping Merlin's secret, he had no duty to. Arthur had known full well when he had knighted the man that his friendship with Merlin was going to come before any ties to Camelot that he might now have. Arthur trusted these men, but he still felt that the fewer people who knew about his servant, the better. He just hadn't realised that Lancelot too had been in on the secret. They hadn't seen Lancelot for years now, there had been no word from him (that Arthur knew of) ever since he had disappeared when they had found Gwen. It meant that Lancelot had known since at least then, and the prince had a feeling it was possibly longer than that.

After all, Gaius had claimed that the griffin could only be killed by magic. Arthur had believed him when his men had barely been able to touch the beast. So how was it that Lancelot had been able to defeat it single handily? Unless, of course, he hadn't been alone and there had been someone with him that held the power to destroy the beast. As he watched Merlin and Lancelot exchange meaningful looks, Arthur sighed and turned away.

Merlin was lucky that he could work his way into so many people's hearts. Lancelot, Gwaine, Gaius…who else knew about the warlock? How many other people were happy to commit treason for the sake of the servant? Looking around the small group, Arthur realised that there was a small smile tugging at his lips. He knew the answer to that question; all of them. The only person who would think twice was Leon because of his loyalty to the king as well as the prince. But Arthur also knew that once the head knight knew that Arthur was protecting Merlin, he would have no more doubts. It seemed ironic that they were going to be fighting together for the first time to claim back a kingdom that would have Merlin executed, yet were also willing to do anything to protect that same person.

"Merlin? A word." As the rest of the men gathered around the weapons, Arthur motioned his head off to one side. He felt bad about tearing Merlin away from Gaius, especially considering they all knew the danger they were about to walk into. But Arthur had to know, he needed to know that Lancelot did know the truth. He needed to know that Merlin would use magic to not only help regain the kingdom, but to keep himself alive as well. He knew his servant better than Merlin realised, knew that Merlin never liked putting someone in a compromising position. If Lancelot didn't know, and Merlin didn't want to put him in an awkward situation, then Arthur wasn't quite sure what the warlock would do.

He was going to make sure that he didn't have to find out.

It took Merlin a few moments before he was able to make his way to his master's side, but for once, Arthur made no comment about it. Who was he to judge that Merlin wanted a few extra moments with his guardian, when Arthur would have done anything to see his father right now. Not that he knew what he was going to say to the man when he did, however. Although he had known for a while that Morgana was his sister, seeing the king look so utterly defeated by the fact his so-called ward had also found out wounded Arthur more than he realised. Why had his father denied her heritage, why had he lied to them both? After everything Merlin had told him, Arthur wasn't sure whether Uther's behaviour was what was solely responsible for Morgana's. After all, if he was feeling betrayed by this, how on earth would she be feeling?

"Arthur? Are you alright?" Blinking, Arthur realised that he had been staring into space, nibbling on his lip as he tried to work out how he was feeling. Merlin's voice cut straight through his musings and Arthur shook his head slightly, trying to give his servant a reassuring smile.

"I'm fine. How are you feeling?"

"Me? Oh I'm fine, I've got the easy…"

"Don't lie to me, Merlin. I know full well that you aren't just going for the warning bell. If you were, then I would be ordering you to do something more useful. Lancelot knows, doesn't he?" Merlin looked torn for a long moment as he glanced over at his friend over his shoulder. Arthur knew that look, he knew that Merlin was trying to decide between telling Arthur the truth or protecting Lancelot. It was enough of an answer for Arthur to decipher and he shook his head.

"One day, you are going to start being completely honest with me." He muttered almost sadly, taking a few steps away from the group as he did so. Merlin's face fell and Arthur instantly felt guilty, but part of him had meant it. He had known about Merlin for months now, he thought that he had proved the servant could trust him to keep both the secret and Merlin safe. Yet it almost seemed second nature for Merlin to simply lie, as if he didn't think that Arthur would ever notice.

He knew that Merlin would come after him, and it meant that he didn't even turn when a hand rested on his arm, preventing him from moving forward.

"I'm sorry, Arthur." Merlin's voice was soft and quiet and Arthur found himself turning. There was the same look on Merlin's face now as there had been the night before, the look that maybe, just maybe, everything was going to work out alright. Arthur wasn't sure how he could be so optimistic considering the odds they were up against, but he just hoped that Merlin was right.

"I thought you would have come to trust me now."

"I do, it's just…" Merlin broke off, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair. Arthur didn't say anything, somehow knowing that Merlin wasn't finished. "It's just I've spent so long lying, to everyone. Maybe if I hadn't lied, none of this would happen? Everyone who has ever known about me has told me that you can't find out, that I would be put to death if you did."

"Nice for you to have so much faith in me." Arthur muttered sarcastically, shrugging off Merlin's hand. The servant reached out for him again before Arthur could turn, and his eyes were pleading.

"I don't mean to lie, Arthur, really I don't. But what would you rather? That I was still cautious and guarded and kept my head attached to my shoulders? Or that I completely relaxed around everyone, and let something slip by accident. It's easier for me if I still protect myself, despite the fact that you already know. Please believe that I never want to hurt you because of it."

Arthur nodded, partly understanding where Merlin was coming from. He couldn't have the servant be as clumsy with his secret as he was everything else, and just couldn't believe that he had gone so long without finding out. He moved away, but Merlin seemed to realise that Arthur simply wasn't at the place he wanted to be yet. The servant fell in next to him, and the two friends climbed over some of the large rocks that helped block the entrance to the castle.

Arthur led the way through what looked like had once been a courtyard, climbing up a particularly large boulder when he reached the centre. Letting his legs dangle over the side, he hauled Merlin up beside him before resting his weight back on his palms. His head fell back and he started at the sky, just beginning to lighten and change colour with the coming dawn.

"I always feel so small when I do something like this," Merlin muttered quietly, mirroring Arthur's position. The prince cast him a sideways look out of the corner of his eye.

"We are all small in the scale of things."

"Not all of us. You're destined for so much more than this, Arthur. And one day, you will see that, and everyone around will see that."

"See it already, do you?" Arthur had made it out to be a mocking comment, as if he was just humouring Merlin. What he wasn't expecting was for his servant to twist around until he was staring Arthur straight in the eye.

"Yes, I do." There was no amusement in Merlin's voice, no hint of irony that suggested that he was mocking Arthur. The prince held the man's gaze for a long moment, suddenly realising quite how much Merlin believed in him.

"What's going to happen?" Arthur wasn't sure that he had ever let himself so vulnerable as he did in that moment. Merlin smiled.

"I can't tell the future, Arthur, I don't know. But I do know that if we fall, we're going to fall taking them with us."

"When did you get to be so wise?" Arthur punched Merlin lightly on the shoulder, trying to relieve the heavy mood that had settled over them. Merlin rubbed it with a grin, and Arthur knew that his efforts had been appreciated.

"It's called living with Gaius for so long. Arthur, you have to tell him that you know. If something happens, I don't want him to think that I didn't try."

"Nothing is going to happen."

"What, so you can tell the future?" Arthur rolled his eyes, knowing that Merlin was grinning at him. If he was honest, Arthur was simply a bit nervous of confronting the physician. He was the only one in Camelot who could still make Arthur feel as if he was nothing more than a boy with nothing more than a look. For him to find out that Arthur had completely changed his views on magic… Arthur wasn't quite sure how he would react. And he wasn't sure he wanted to know either, not if it meant risking losing Gaius.

"He'll be fine with it. He'll be proud of you." Merlin's hand had come to rest on Arthur's shoulder and he gave it a gentle squeeze before dropping it. Arthur didn't even have time to say anything about it, but he was surprised by the comfort that it offered. He found that he was swallowing past a lump in his throat as he studied his hands.

"Your father?" Merlin hazarded a guess at the thoughts that were going through Arthur's mind and the prince nodded.

"What will you do?"

"He's still King. He might have lied to us all, but he doesn't deserve this. No king deserves to be usurped. It's my duty as the Crown Prince and the First Knight to restore him to his throne. But my duty as a son?"

"I only met my father briefly," Merlin muttered, fiddling with his sleeve and avoiding Arthur's gaze. "But I know what it is like to have to follow in someone's footsteps like that."

"Your father didn't lie to you."

"No, he just made me grow up without him. Do you know what that is like?"

"He was trying to protect you."

"I know, I know…" Merlin broke off with a sigh, staring out over nothing. Arthur didn't quite believe that he had just defended a dragonlord. But he knew that it was more than that… Balinor, first and foremost, had been Merlin's father. That was what counted here, not what he could or couldn't do.

"So am I, Merlin."

"Hmm?"

"I know that whilst my father is king, all I can do is try and protect you. But I swear, here and now, that things will be different when it is my time."

"Arthur…"

"Do you want to know why I didn't knight you like I did for the others?" Arthur stared stonily ahead, ignoring the way that Merlin was almost shifting in anticipation at where this conversation was going.

"Because I'm your servant?"

"Because no knight can have an official position at Court."

"What are you talking about?" This time, it was Arthur's turn to swivel until he was facing the younger man. Any hesitation he might have felt about what he was about to say beforehand vanished as he looked into Merlin's eyes. Hope was just beginning to shine in the depths, almost as if Merlin was holding it back because he didn't dare believe what Arthur was saying. But it was there nevertheless, and Arthur suddenly felt an irrational surge of pride that he was the one to put it there.

"My father is still King, Merlin, despite the fact that he is locked in a dungeon. If we succeed at this, then the chances are that he'll be king for a long time to come. But I swear to you, when his time comes to an end… You'll be free. I'll lift the ban on magic, Merlin, I promise."

"Arthur…" Merlin's voice was a breathy exclamation and there were tears swimming in his eyes.

"It's not that bad, is it?"

"Oh shut up," Merlin sniffed slightly as Arthur nudged his shoulder. Even out of the corner of his eye, he could see the huge grin spreading over Merlin's face as the truth of what Arthur had just said sunk in.

"And the official position at Court?"

"Well, I'm going to need a Court Sorcerer, aren't I?" Arthur shrugged, acting as if it didn't really matter what he had just said. Merlin froze, and Arthur knew that his mind would be turning cartwheels trying to keep up with what direction this conversation was heading in.

"I'll be recognised?" There was just a hint of alarm in Merlin's voice this time, and it made Arthur realise just how used to living his life in hiding the warlock had become. Unable to stop himself, Arthur felt another surge of anger towards his father shoot through him. His teachings had meant that Merlin had been too afraid to come to Arthur with the truth, despite the fact he had saved the prince's life more than once. Determined to try and force his feelings aside before he did something such as unfairly take them out on his servant, Arthur grinned.

"Well, I guess Court Jester position is also open is that more your style?"

"Oh shut up, you prat." There was no heat in Merlin's words and Arthur could see that the flicker of hope had burst into a roaring flame. If anything was going to get them through the fight, it would be Merlin's optimism that they could get through this.

"You don't have to stay. After all of this, I mean. I don't know how long my father's reign is going to last for. You should leave Camelot, learn how to live a free life."

"We have to survive this first." Merlin muttered, and Arthur found that he was agreeing with his servant before he knew what he was doing.

"Merlin, what you said before? About Morgause and not being able to defeat her?"

"I have a weapon this time," Arthur knew better to ask when Merlin had that tone of voice. He had no idea about the sword that the warlock had kept hidden for all this time, and if anyone were to ask, he would say that he didn't want to know. Merlin's secrets, much as Arthur hated them, had tended to save his life more than once.

"Do you think it will be enough?"

"I don't know."

"You're not really going for the warning bell, are you? You're going after the cup."

"You have to get your father out, Sire." Arthur knew that Merlin had practically seen what was going through the prince's mind. If Merlin was going after the cup, then Arthur wanted to go with him. Merlin, however was shaking his head, cutting through Arthur's protests even before they had crossed the prince's lips.

"We can't be in the same place, Arthur, they can kill us both. You have to make sure that your father is free, leave the cup and Morgause to me."

"And Morgana?"

"That's your call, My Lord." Merlin muttered softly. It was only the title that he added on the end that made Arthur realise that Merlin meant it. Everyone would believe that Arthur had only just found out about his sister, but that was far from the truth. He had tried to make her feel at home, at peace, regardless of how he was personally feeling since knowing. Yet she had still turned around and stabbed him in the back, still wanted him dead. Arthur had had time to think about it rationally, had time to make a decision about what he would do if he ever came to face to face with Morgana in a situation like this.

"I wish I knew what call to make." It didn't matter how long he had had, Arthur still had no idea what to do.

"How did you decide so quickly for me then?"

"I found out by overhearing you talking about saving my life. I found out about her with you unveiling plots she had concocted to kill me. Makes a big difference about how you think about someone."

"Sire? It's time." Leon's voice came from somewhere behind them and Arthur lifted his hand to indicate that he had heard. Jumping off from the rock, he waited until Merlin had landed beside him before offering out his arm. Merlin took it, and the two men grasped each other, destiny being sealed.

"Thank you for everything, Arthur."

"It's not over yet."

"No, but you accepted me. No matter what happens now, that's all that really counts." Arthur dipped his head, gripping Merlin's arm for a moment before turning to walk into the castle. It was time to take back his kingdom, alongside men that had been banished from it and lived under the threat of execution by living in it. Arthur couldn't help but think that his father couldn't have been more wrong about how he viewed the common man.

"Arthur? I'll stay." Turning as Merlin called him back, Arthur frowned. After everything that had just been said, Merlin was going to stay here?

"What?"

"Afterwards, you idiot." Merlin rolled his eyes, laughing as he moved closer, hearing the confusion in Arthur's voice. "After this is over, and your father is king once more and Morgana no longer a threat. I'll stay. I'll stay in Camelot, by your side like I always am."

"Merlin…"

"You'd probably cut off your own arm with your own sword if I wasn't there." Merlin caught up with the prince as he spoke, brushing past him so that he could enter the main body of the castle. Arthur suddenly felt as if a great weight had been lifted from him at knowing that.

"Merlin?" Calling back his servant, Arthur attempted a grin. "Good luck?"

It was almost as if he wasn't quite sure what he was supposed to say when one was facing certain death. Merlin grinned back, his eyes sparkling with optimism and just a hint of magic.

"You too, Sire, you too."

With that, he disappeared from Arthur's sight. The prince paused for another moment as looked back over the lightening sky.

A new day indeed.

**The end.**


End file.
